tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-368999612024-03-12T23:42:06.391-04:00amuse-bouchea study of life's little things...
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366031457587496623noreply@blogger.comBlogger883125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36899961.post-66295926896738332152014-02-05T10:48:00.000-05:002014-02-05T10:48:20.668-05:00#31daydress the final recapOne month. One dress. A lot of fun!!<br />
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January zipped right along, and I can truly say that by the last week and a half or so, I didn't even notice I was wearing the same dress. (And, yes, I have coworkers who STILL didn't realize it, right up until the end!)<br />
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So, how did it go? What have I accomplished?<br />
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It was GREAT, and I had a lot of fun! I wore the dress every day but two (when I wore workout clothes and pajamas and called it good). I used scarves, sweaters, leggings, jeans, jackets, more scarves, hats, and... I never repeated an ensemble!! <br />
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I don't think I started the challenge with the intention of wearing a different outfit every day, but as it evolved, it became fun to mix and match differently. Overall, I used 4 pairs of pants, 9 long sleeve cardigans/blazers. 3 vests, 5 sweaters, 1 sweatshirt, 1 jacket, many shirts/blouses and multiple pairs of tights/leggings. I wore a lot of scarves and my four pairs of boots were in heavy rotation. Truth be told, MANY of these outfits can (and <i>will</i>) be worn again, without the dress. </div>
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I did not purchase anything new during the challenge (although I was gifted an awesome scarf during that time.) Surprisingly, I used a lot more of my wardrobe than I thought I would, including a few pieces that I haven't worn in a long time. Sadly, I did not fall back in love with some of them, so they will be included in my final donation of clothing.</div>
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Most importantly, I felt really good during the challenge. Out of 29 pretty distinct outfits, I would say 25 of them made me feel like a confident fashonista. And what did I learn?</div>
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<li>My winter wardrobe has just about the right amount of pieces in it. If I want to add any, I will make a conscious effort to cull an older piece to keep the balance</li>
<li>I love, love, love to accessorize, and it's pretty obvious that "the scarf" is my signature item</li>
<li>Identifying a signature item made it easier to create distinct looks than I thought it would be. </li>
<li>I don't why women don't demand more pockets in fashion. I know they can be bulky and awkward, but juggling a phone, keys, clipboard, a pen and a lip gloss is a major part of each workday for me, and I really missed having pockets</li>
<li>(I sorta miss sharing my daily wardrobe photos)</li>
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Overall, I felt both <b>mindful</b> and <b>creative</b> throughout the month, and so I declare the project a success! Will I do it again? (People are asking!) Yes, I think I might. But I will certainly wait until a different season; Spring, perhaps - when I can explore an entirely different set of shoes and accessories.</div>
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Have you ever done something that has challenged your creativity like this? How did you feel during the process? And after? Please share!!</div>
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">(What is the #31daydress challenge? Click <a href="http://lellysmusings.blogspot.com/2014/01/more-and-less.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a> for some background. Want to see what I wore the first week? Click <a href="http://lellysmusings.blogspot.com/2014/01/31daydress-week-1-recap.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a>. Week two? Click <a href="http://lellysmusings.blogspot.com/2014/01/31daydress-week-2-recap.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a>. And three is <a href="http://lellysmusings.blogspot.com/2014/01/31daydress-week-3-recap.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a>. And <a href="http://lellysmusings.blogspot.com/2014/01/31daydress-week-4-recap.html" target="_blank">four</a>. And, as always, you can follow me in IG @lelly28461))</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366031457587496623noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36899961.post-10345818436694543972014-01-30T15:11:00.000-05:002014-01-30T15:28:59.816-05:00glass ceilings<br />
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<i>frozen "glass" snow day experiment</i></div>
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whew! cold enough for you? here in coastal north carolina, we have finally succumbed to the polar vortex, i guess. freezing rain, sleet, a few snow flakes and plummeting temperatures created a big mess around here tuesday night. as this is a very rare occurrence in these parts, i'm thankful the right calls were made regarding school and government closings, etc. ( i am particularly thankful that my family and friends in Atlanta are safe and warm today!)</div>
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so - and rightly so- just about everything around here in tiny town is shut down. if they didn't close tuesday (schools and government offices), they closed wednesday (restaurants, doctors' offices, the gym). (wait, BoJangles across the street is open, but i heard they were out of chicken, so...) as of this moment, schools will also be closed tomorrow. and this is the RIGHT thing to do. ice is melting and reforming, and, i kid you not, there really IS only one way to get anywhere in tiny town. when that road is in bad shape, well, you should really just stay put.</div>
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but we are open. hotels don't close. (hotels <i>hardly ever</i> close). we are receiving and unloading new furniture. we are housing emergency crews from the power plants. we are serving breakfast. and coffee.</div>
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it takes people to make all of the above happen. it takes people who have to navigate that slush-ice road at 11:00 at night, or at 4:00 in the morning. and sometimes it takes people to cover for other people. the people i work with are very reliable, and as a team, we can almost always seamlessly cover any absentees. the safety of my team and their family members is of the utmost importance. but let's get real: when you have a business that doesn't close, when you have to provide services to guests who are already in the hotel, you have to staff it. hotel employees truly are essential personnel. </div>
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one of my responsibilities is to make sure we are taking care of our guests and taking care of each other. i have managed this hotel for over ten years. there is a part of my brain that is never able to shut off because the hotel is there, twenty-four/seven. one phone call can change the course of my day or night in a nano second. i am always "on call." freak ice storms in january (just like hurricanes in august) send that part of my brain into overdrive. </div>
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[by the way, we are currently renovating all of our guestrooms, which is a beautiful and stressful tango of moving parts and contract laborers. trucks full of furniture drive through the night and expect people to be here to unload them in the morning. painters want to get paid. carpet installers want to say crazy things like "we won't have enough carpet."]</div>
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i am exhausted.</div>
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i want to have a snow day. i want to stay home and drink hot chocolate and stay in pyjayzees. i want to bundle up and slip and slide on the ice for an hour. i want to stay up late catching up on the DVR, knowing I can sleep in the next morning. i want to meet up with friends and watch our kids tumble down small hills on boogie-boards-turn-sleds. </div>
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i want the same thing for jack.</div>
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jack and i have this routine. on most days that he doesn't have school, he spends the day with me at the hotel. this week, he helped unload trucks and hauled loads of recycled shipping boxes. then he would slip away to "his room" tucked up on the third floor, with his book and the TV, and the thing that is still thrilling about having a key to unlock your very own room. he hasn't complained. much.</div>
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but i feel like i've let him down. i would give anything to be able to detach from the hotel for twenty four hours, to devote my time and attention to jack and the things that seem especially fun about snow days. </div>
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i would give anything to not be the general manager of a hotel right now. it's taken an ice storm for me to clearly see the glass ceiling.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366031457587496623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36899961.post-2708018355358991942014-01-28T12:03:00.000-05:002014-01-28T12:03:26.614-05:00#31daydress Week 4 Recap<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">Week 4 is in the bag! The 31st is in plain sight!! I almost can't believe I am nearing the end of this wardrobe project. (Or am I?) </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">I'm writing today's recap under a winter storm warning. Yes, coastal North Carolina has finally succumbed to the Polar Vortex. Or something. Schools and government offices are shut down in anticipation of some icy, snowy weather. But you know who's open? OH, YES. The hotel does not close. In fact, we continue renovations in the face of your winter storm warning!! Take *that*, universe!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">This past week included wearing the dress to Jack's first ever District Band auditions. That will be a post in and of itself, believe me. For now, here's a recap of the past week.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">Favorite outfit of the week: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">Black long sleeve cardigan, skinny jeans, black slouchy boots and two - count 'em - TWO infinity scarves (red and pink worn together). </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">Nuisance of the week: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">We didn't have heat in our house for a good portion of this past week. UGH. Waking up to a cold house is HARD, people. There were plenty of mornings that I wanted to throw on layers upon layers of running clothes and sweatshirts instead of the dress. Instead, I dug deep and came up with some layers we haven't seen yet during this challenge (red puffy vest, anyone?) I am also very, very VERY thankful that living without heat for a few days was just a nuisance in my world, and not a way of life.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">I am mindful of: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">I wear a lot of scarves. Like, A. LOT. I obviously had a lot of scarves in my closet to begin this challenge, and I typically will wear a scarf at least once or twice a week. I'm noticing that the scarf (<i>or scarves) </i>has become an even more prominent accessory for me. Some others of you are noticing, as well. Thank you to my good friend, Chris Riker, who gifted me with a lovely new scarf as part of a good mail package over the weekend!!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">I've been asked if I will continue, or repeat, this wardrobe challenge. While it's tempting (seriously), I think I'll wait until Spring before I consider doing another one. Who knows??</span></div>
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">(What is the #31daydress challenge? Click <a href="http://lellysmusings.blogspot.com/2014/01/more-and-less.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a> for some background. Want to see what I wore the first week? Click <a href="http://lellysmusings.blogspot.com/2014/01/31daydress-week-1-recap.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a>. Week two? Click <a href="http://lellysmusings.blogspot.com/2014/01/31daydress-week-2-recap.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a>. And three is <a href="http://lellysmusings.blogspot.com/2014/01/31daydress-week-3-recap.html" target="_blank">here</a>. And, as always, you can follow me in IG @lelly28461))</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366031457587496623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36899961.post-84889861944693974052014-01-21T10:39:00.003-05:002014-01-21T10:39:35.066-05:00#31daydress Week 3 Recap<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">Week 3 has passed, and I'm still going strong, with no repeat outfits. (In all fairness, I spent the weekend alternating between workout clothes and pajamas. I felt a twinge of guilt, but it passed quickly. It's not often that I can spend an entire weekend in comfy clothes, and it really only took a few moments for me to get over the fact that I wasn't wearing the dress. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">I manage a hotel in a market where "business casual" is the norm. (Who are we kidding? I work in a market where "business khaki shorts and flip flops" are the norm. Even in January!) We are currently in the throes of an 80 guest room renovation, which means I've been striving for more of a "business casual comfortable" style many days. I think there are coworkers who STILL don't realize I'm wearing the same dress every day! </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">Favorite outfit of the week: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">Yellow striped tee, denim shirt, gray upcycled "scarf" (with matching flower pin!), black leggings, slouchy black boots</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">Nuisance of the week: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">Putting on tights. I hate it. I think all tights manufacturers should put tags in their tights so you know which is the front and which is the back. I promise you, it DOES matter!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">I am mindful of: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">Several people have stopped me or messaged me to compliment me on my outfits (thanks for following along on the adventure!) I know not everyone "gets" what I'm doing, but it's fun that people are noticing. It's giving me inspiration to get creative and finish out the month with no repeat outfits. It's really helping me get a clear picture of what I'm going to keep in my closet after January 31st, and what I will donate. Stay tuned!</span><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">(What is the #31daydress challenge? Click </span><a href="http://lellysmusings.blogspot.com/2014/01/more-and-less.html" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;"> for some background. Want to see what I wore the first week? Click </span><a href="http://lellysmusings.blogspot.com/2014/01/31daydress-week-1-recap.html" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">. Week two? Click <a href="http://lellysmusings.blogspot.com/2014/01/31daydress-week-2-recap.html" target="_blank">here</a>.)</span></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366031457587496623noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36899961.post-63916405886297852182014-01-14T10:00:00.001-05:002014-01-14T10:02:34.206-05:00#31DayDress Week 2 RecapSo, week 2 of the wardrobe project is complete! (What am I talking about? Click <a href="http://lellysmusings.blogspot.com/2014/01/more-and-less.html" target="_blank">here</a> for some background. Want to see what I wore the first week? Click <a href="http://lellysmusings.blogspot.com/2014/01/31daydress-week-1-recap.html" target="_blank">here</a>.)<br />
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Temps have been more moderate this past week, so there hasn't been as much need to layer, layer, layer. I've gotten a lot of compliments about my outfits at work. Interestingly enough, I don't think that most people at work even know that I'm doing this challenge! Heh heh. What received the most comments this week? Well, online, it was a toss up between the cream sweater and the pink cardigan. In real life, it was those scarlet tights. Go figure...<br />
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(On a side note, hopefully you've noticed the lighting in my photos has improved somewhat. See it, right there? The difference between pic 2 and 3? Tricked you! Nothing is different AT ALL about the lighting. The only difference is the phone, and I promise you, the difference in the quality of the photos is noticeable!)<br />
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<b>Favorite outfit of the week: </b>Pink cardigan, black pencil skirt, black tights and tall black boots<br />
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<b>Nuisance of the week: </b>I don't seem to own casual shoes. I have boots and heels, and then I have running shoes. This has created a challenge on weekends when I have been dressing way down (like, one-step-above-pyjayzees down.)<br />
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<b>I am mindful of: </b>I feel better when I am wearing a well put-together outfit, and I feel more confident when I wear heels.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget, you can also follow along on Instagram @lelly28461 (#31daydress).</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366031457587496623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36899961.post-49234647844225249332014-01-10T14:23:00.000-05:002014-01-10T14:57:24.219-05:00hey, baby, what's your sign?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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i feel like i know myself better in january.</div>
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maybe it's because i've just spent some quiet winter hours reviewing the past year: what worked, what didn't, who mattered the most, who hurt my feelings, etc.</div>
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or maybe it's because i then spent some hours dreaming & scheming about the new year: what do i want to accomplish, how do i want to feel, who do i want to spend time with, etc.</div>
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and after spending all those hours looking at vibrant mental film reels of WHAT I'VE DONE, HOW I FEEL, and WHAT'S NEXT... well, i'm starting to believe i've got myself figured out. at least i think i do. this month, at least!</div>
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so who am i? i'm a fire girl. an archer (and, no, not in the Katniss way.) i mean, i'm a Sagitttarius: adventurous, with an abundance of creative fire and the need for excitement and different ways to widen my horizons. (so, huh. maybe just a little bit in the Katniss way.)</div>
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i don't put too much stock in astrological signs, but with 44 years of life experience under my belt now, it's hard to deny the similarities between "The Sagittarius Woman" and "Eleanor." for example, sagittarius:</div>
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<li>is enterprising and resourceful</li>
<li>always on the lookout for ways to fulfill her dreams</li>
<li>is adventurous</li>
<li>has an abundance of creative fire</li>
<li>has a need for excitement and to widen her horizons</li>
<li>works hard to achieve her goal and then looks for another one</li>
<li>loves to travel and has a difficult time staying still</li>
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oh, i recognize the stumbling blocks, as well. for example, sagittarius:</div>
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<li>struggles to balance reality with ideology</li>
<li>can be overconfident</li>
<li>lacks patience</li>
<li>does not possess the ability to adhere to the restraints of a budget (ouch!)</li>
<li>needs a great deal of personal freedom</li>
<li>is usually attracted to those she feels are in distress</li>
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yep, all the signs are there (pun intended.) </div>
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seems like as good a time as any to launch into some new adventures!! and i've got the perfect one planned: i'm *finally* taking the leap and creating a space where i can use my creative fire in a new mentoring adventure. i hope you'll come along with me for support! you can start by checking out a new site <a href="http://eleanorerickson.com/">eleanorerickson.com</a> - i'm brewing up some really awesome stuff, and i'd love to share it with you.</div>
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so, what's <i>your</i> sign? does it fit? tell me about it!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366031457587496623noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36899961.post-63792438562300901792014-01-07T07:04:00.001-05:002014-01-14T09:46:06.570-05:00#31daydress Week 1 RecapThe first seven days of my mindfulness <a href="http://lellysmusings.blogspot.com/2014/01/more-and-less.html" target="_blank">wardrobe project</a> have gone by quickly! I'm happy to say that I'm still having fun with it, and thought a weekly summary would be a great way to capture my thoughts. (Hope you're following along on Instagram @lelly28461!)<br />
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One of the first things I realized when I was planning this project was that January can be a challenging time to wear a dress. Yep, even here in coastal North Carolina, where our winter temps are usually in the 40s, we are experiencing some crazy fluctuations. This morning, it feels like 6 degrees. Forty-eight hours from now, it should be in the mid 50s. </div>
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How do I create an outfit around a dress on those colder days? Layers. And lots of 'em. I am actually a big fan of layers, so this hasn't seemed like too big a challenge. On Sunday night, I flat out wore the dress over a pair of jeans (I really thought that would feel awkward), but it came together in a cute tunic-y way. At least, I hope it did, because I have a feeling I'll be rocking it again before the end of the month!</div>
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<b>Favorite outfit of the week:</b> black long sleeve cardigan, boyfriend jeans, black socks, black loafers, striped pink scarf. </div>
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<b>Nuisance of the week:</b> My dress has no pockets, which is especially troublesome at work. This is typical of women's business casual attire, I'm afraid. </div>
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<b>I am mindful of:</b> It's cold. Cold enough to delay school openings in our coastal community, which sparked an interesting outpouring of opinions across social media channels last night. It is challenging to create an outfit around the dress when I would rather bundle up in fleece and sweats. I'm thankful that this challenge is a *choice* for me, and that fleece and sweats are readily available to me should the need arise. There are many, many people who don't have that option. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366031457587496623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36899961.post-33571798219831229342014-01-03T11:32:00.002-05:002014-01-03T11:32:35.570-05:00ask me, ask me, ask me<br />
It's that time of year, when everyone wants to know what my "word of the year" is. If you've never heard of this practice, never stumbled across #oneword in your travels around the internet, you, well... you probably don't spend as much time traveling around the internet as i do, and that's probably a good thing.<br />
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{but seriously, if you don't know about the #oneword challenge, <a href="http://myoneword.org/%E2%80%8E" target="_blank">here</a> is one place to get info. or <a href="http://oneword365.com/%E2%80%8E" target="_blank">here</a>. or <a href="http://getoneword.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. heck, <a href="http://www.chrisbrogan.com/my-3-words-201" target="_blank">chris brogan</a> even recommends you settle on three words for your year (overachiever!) (just kdding!). you get my drift.}<br />
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i first started adopting a word of the year in 2009, with the word<b> <a href="http://lellysmusings.blogspot.com/2009/01/dont-stop-believing.html" target="_blank">journey</a></b>. the following year it was <b>open</b>. in 2012, it was <b>continue</b>, and last year it was <b>now!</b>. (yes, with an exclamation point!)<br />
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i am a big fan of the #oneword idea, it's perfect for an ADD brain like mine. my word is my talisman, it helps me to focus my grand dreams into do-able projects. my word helps me get unstuck when my dreams seem paralyzing. my word gives me something to mumble under my breath during a long run when i simply want to stop running.<br />
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my word for 2014 is <b>ask.</b><br />
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<i>i hate it</i>. <br />
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not the word, mind you. i hate asking for things, in general. it's a stumbling block of mine, both personally and professionally. i hate vulnerabtility. i hate weaknesses. i hate indecision. i hate having to ask. for anything.<br />
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<img alt="All you have to do is ask" src="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/dd/ab/3a/ddab3a05a2991e9ae69f02d8bf4a35fc.jpg" /></div>
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so see, there it is. in order to get those things, the success and happiness, the meeting space, the sale, the childcare assistance, the ride, the sponsorship, the promotion. you. must. ask.<br />
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and if you are one of those people who have no trouble <i>asking</i>? oh... i envy you. <br />
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for me, 2014 will be about the ask. i simply cannot get to the places i want to be (the places where my dreams live) without stopping and asking along the way. so i will get flustered and trip all over my words at least once a day, asking for the things that i need to make my dreams my reality. because if i don't? i will remain paralyzed by my own big, beautiful dreams.<br />
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(okay, really, my word of the year is <b>justfuckingdoit.</b> and you can bet that's the word i'll be mumbling under my breath!!)<br />
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(also, i cannot type the words "ask me, ask me, ask me" without giving a huge shout out to my sister Patricia, my brother-in-law Adrian, and, basically every single person who attended Northeast Music Camp between 1984 and 1986.)<br />
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and i ask you, what is YOUR #oneword?<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366031457587496623noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36899961.post-17434863596573079352014-01-02T11:55:00.000-05:002014-01-02T15:36:24.656-05:00jar of hearts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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the mason jar craze cracks me up. i mean, come on... is there anything we <i style="font-weight: bold;">can't</i> put in a damn jar??<br />
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jams and jellys? check<br />
cakes? check<br />
sewing notions? check<br />
drinks? double check<br />
cookie mix? salad? burp cloths? check, check, check<br />
candles, and of course, matches. check<br />
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(there's more. oh, so much more. i even have a <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/lelly28461/jars/" target="_blank">pinterest board</a> all about them (if we are being honest here, i did create this board to sort of, um, poke fun at how many pins involve mason jars. even pinterest can get a little cheeky late at night...)<br />
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it was probably during a late night pinterest browsing session that i came across the "memory jar" idea. i had a jar, i had some ribbon, it was ridiculously easy to throw together. and over the past year, we filled up that jar with brightly colored post it notes of scribbled memories.<br />
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there are memories like Mud Race! and Paddle Boats! and jack's first late showing of a movie (Ironman 3, for the record)! we fine tuned the art of making baguette pizzas. he went to his first middle school co-ed parties (2 halloween parties in one night!)<br />
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we PR'd a Color Me Rad 5K together, and he lifted my spirits and my steps at mile 20 of the Richmond Marathon.<br />
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and then, there are the things that didn't make it into the jar, memories that don't fit so nicely onto brightly colored post it notes.<br />
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we didn't record how mat spent most of the first three months of the year having, and recovering from, surgery. we didn't record the day he moved out. we didn't record the day that jack was punched in the face by a boy in the locker room at school.<br />
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but those things did happen. they are memories of 2013, just as much as the fun things. i am verklempt as i look at this jar and think about retrieving all the post it notes and making way for 2014. i'm anxious about what comes next, but i am confident that at the end of the year, we will be laughing and smiling as we huddle over our newly penned memories.<br />
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we gave a jar to each of my sisters and my parents this year. i'd love to give you a jar, to sit with you in december and unfold each piece of paper, reliving the memories you've captured. and then, if you want, we can talk about the ones that didn't make it into the jar. we'll find a place for those, as well.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366031457587496623noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36899961.post-21150011199027123692014-01-01T11:31:00.000-05:002014-02-05T10:10:18.260-05:00#31daydress: more and lessif i've learned anything about myself over the past few years of tremendous growth, it's that in order to be successful at ANYTHING, i have to be truly mindful of where i'm going.<br />
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doing the 100 day burpee challenge? mindful that i had to put on a sports bra every single day.<br />
running a marathon? mindful that i gave up a good part of almost every Saturday for four months.<br />
raising an almost teenager? mindful of every word that comes out of my mouth.<br />
detaching from anothers addictions? mindful that i can choose to be kind.<br />
jeans not feeling comfy? mindful that i was NOT mindful about my food choices the past month<br />
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i have a lot of magic to create in this new year. and in order to do that, i must be mindful of <b><i>the creation</i></b>. i have a word, i have some goals, but most importantly, i have a 31 day activity to kick my mindfulness into high gear:<br />
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it's my own little wardrobe project.<br />
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for the month of january, i have pared down my wardrobe to just one dress, and a handful of accessories. i will use other things from my closet to mix and match (think sweaters, tights, scarves), and i will wear my running clothes when appropriate. but other than that? it's me and my dress.<br />
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wearing the same dress every day is the no-brainer. strip down the choices and add things back only with intention? that's the challenge. one month is totally manageable, right? <i>right</i>?!? (and truth be told, it will most likely be 30 days, not 31, as it is almost noon on the first and i have no reason to change from pyjayzees today.)<br />
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at first, i considered buying a new dress for this project, but i was mindful that i had several to choose from in my closet already. the dress i chose is a White Stag jersey knit i probably picked up a few years ago at the store that shall not be named. it is sleeveless with a scoop neck, yet was an awkward length for layering. in preparation for the project, i chopped six inches from the bottom and now it's good to go! <br />
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i'm excited that this little project will help kick my mindfulness into high gear; that it will create a path on which i will be mindful of other things, in other months. here we go!!<br />
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<i>edited: i took inspiration for this project from <a href="http://vimeo.com/11113046" target="_blank">the uniform project</a> and <a href="http://theproject333.com/" target="_blank">project 333</a>. </i></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366031457587496623noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36899961.post-26493266037103417392014-01-01T00:29:00.000-05:002014-01-01T00:29:17.222-05:00Remember me?I had occasion to look something up on this here blog yesterday, and was amused that it was easier to Google my own writing than to search through my archives. Of course, in the process of rereading that post, I fell down the rabbit hole of my own blog. Here we are, almost 24 hours later, and I'm still enjoying the catching up.<br />
<br />
You might have read my blog when it was actively updated. You might have stumbled across it recently and wondered why the most recent post isn't so recent. Maybe you spent a few moments and browsed back a few entries - THANK YOU if you did.<br />
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And maybe not. Maybe I am the only person who is entertained by my musings. And if that's the case, I still consider myself extremely lucky that I have so many amazing moments of so many years captured here.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366031457587496623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36899961.post-8052354725307830992013-12-31T17:59:00.001-05:002013-12-31T17:59:23.438-05:00#runchat 2013Run for Ray (J-5k, E-15k)<div>Tobacco Road Half Marathon (E)</div><div>Oak Island Lighthouse Run (J-5k, E-10k)</div><div>Dirty Myrtle Mud Run (5k)</div><div>Freedom Run (5k)</div><div>Oktoberfest 15k (E)</div><div>Color Me RAD (5k)</div><div>Richmond Marathon (E)</div><div>Turkey Trot (5k)</div><div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwHUIv0QE8TiDi7PUXbKTyXPjWFrkAypa-CjJjHxzYwrs5KuhF43OcJExeNH-lOETtkKhS9enaJijVcO5CDJJtd9UqSBJOsGfS_pe7TdFPiBlg7GuJTv7XvQouCS-IzBkJQnR/s640/blogger-image--334941838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwHUIv0QE8TiDi7PUXbKTyXPjWFrkAypa-CjJjHxzYwrs5KuhF43OcJExeNH-lOETtkKhS9enaJijVcO5CDJJtd9UqSBJOsGfS_pe7TdFPiBlg7GuJTv7XvQouCS-IzBkJQnR/s640/blogger-image--334941838.jpg"></a></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366031457587496623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36899961.post-47565573316818470952013-12-31T15:11:00.000-05:002013-12-31T18:03:28.906-05:00twenty thirteen<strong>1. What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before?</strong> i ran a MARATHON!!<br />
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<strong>2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? </strong>i kept several resolutions throughout the year - i did not know all of them at the start of the year, however.<br />
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<strong>3. Did anyone close to you give birth?</strong> my cousin liz welcomed "v"<br />
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<strong>4. Did anyone close to you die?</strong> grandma cross<br />
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<strong>5. What countries did you visit</strong>? none<br />
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<strong>6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013? </strong>a true vacation. or two.<br />
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<strong>7. What dates from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?</strong> october 18th. the three of us know why.<br />
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<strong>8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?</strong> i think it's a tie between completing the 100 days of burpees challenge and completing the rva marathon.<br />
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<strong>9. What was your biggest failure?</strong> gaining weight<br />
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<strong>10. Did you suffer illness or injury?</strong> i trained for the tobacco road half marathon with an injured calf/knee<br />
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<strong>11. What was the best thing you bought?</strong> a blue and silver dress for the gala<br />
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<strong>12. Whose behavior merited celebration?</strong> jack, forever my MVP!<br />
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<strong>13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? </strong>anyone and everyone who reposted or shared an article on facebook or twitter without reading it and commenting on it<br />
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<strong>14. Where did most of your money go? </strong>race fees and bills<br />
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<strong>15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? </strong>coming home to peace and quiet<br />
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<strong>16. What song will always remind you of 2013? </strong>get lucky, daft punk<br />
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<strong>17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?</strong> happier, fatter, poorer (but in finances only)<br />
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<strong>18. What do you wish you’d done more of? </strong>trained/exercised/run with other people<br />
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<strong>19. What do you wish you’d done less of?</strong> stuffed food in my mouth<br />
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<strong>20. Did you fall in love in 2013?</strong> no<br />
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<strong>21. What was your favorite TV program?</strong> The Black List<br />
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<strong>22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?</strong> no hate<br />
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<strong>23. What was the best book you read?</strong> i didn't read any books!<br />
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<strong>24. What was your greatest musical discovery?</strong> could have been daft punk<br />
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<strong>25. What did you want and get?</strong> a running watch<br />
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<strong>26. What did you want and not get? </strong>i'm not sure, but it's out of reach, as of yet<br />
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<strong>27. What was your favorite film of this year? </strong>frozen<br />
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<strong>28. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?</strong> i worked as i turned 44<br />
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<strong>29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?</strong> i would have liked to keep my momentum from the earliest months vis-a-vis creating my new career<br />
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<strong>30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013? </strong>everything old is new again. seriously - i repurposed and reused many pieces that have been sitting stagnant in my closet.<br />
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<strong>31. What kept you sane?</strong> runningAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366031457587496623noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36899961.post-15783535440271669782013-06-11T13:01:00.000-04:002013-06-11T13:14:46.564-04:00#100daysofburpees<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRjkGbMIiejkRsXlXUSBC0adTaXgPPW-ESG1_cCVju7KQsCMxMP7JGlULQ1_9ZjBrFNvcvdTVSzV1wXU1KQ0wQCKGeHwzsiSjjJkQcdRoK99p-rKNPkPkrquH7zEFjb47N55Ut/s1600/burpee+challenge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRjkGbMIiejkRsXlXUSBC0adTaXgPPW-ESG1_cCVju7KQsCMxMP7JGlULQ1_9ZjBrFNvcvdTVSzV1wXU1KQ0wQCKGeHwzsiSjjJkQcdRoK99p-rKNPkPkrquH7zEFjb47N55Ut/s320/burpee+challenge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
So there. Challenge completed.<br />
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(If you don't know what a burpee is, please take a moment to google it. There are 101 different videos that will show you thirteen different versions of "the burpee." I chose the "squat thrust with jump up" version myself. There's your visual.)<br />
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I stumbled onto this fitness challenge as I stumble upon most of them, scrolling through Twitter one day. I was in the middle of training for my 2nd half marathon, and hating every minute of it. In January, I had completed a plank-a-day challenge, and was feeling pretty confident about *that.* So the #100daysof burpees challenge seemed like a good next option, and something that would keep me from feeling like such a failure at my race training.<br />
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The gist of it was very simple: on day 1, i did 1 burpee. On day 2, i did 2 burpees. And so forth.<br />
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Some days, the burpees were the entirety of my workout. Although, I quickly found that if you're going to wrestle into a sports bra for the burpees, you might as well get in another workout. I mean, why go through that effort for nothing?<br />
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Some days, the burpees were part of another workout.<br />
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On day 17, I ran a half marathon, and then did 17 burpees back in my hotel room.<br />
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On day 60, I did 30 burpees as part of my TRX class, and then did 30 more back at home.<br />
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On day 86, I did 10 burpees in the middle of a mud run race, and 76 more when I got home. (I might add, those were the UGLIEST burpees you ever did see!)<br />
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Sometimes Jack did burpees with me. Sometimes I managed to get them done before work. Most of the times, I watched old episodes of The Office on Netflix to distract me. <br />
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Sometimes, I cried. Once, I almost threw up.<br />
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I never missed a day, never missed a burpee. On Saturday, June 8th, I did 100 burpees. and on Sunday, June 9th, I spent one entire blissed out day sans sports bra. <br />
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After the half marathon, in March, I purposefully took myself "off the road" for 90 days. That's right, no running (except for a few races I already had lined up.) The burpees challenge proved to be a fantastic gateway to some other serious cross training during this time. (And, in fact, the burpees challenge took 18 days longer to complete than my official training program for my first half marathon last year!)<br />
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In summary:<br />
5,050 burpees completed<br />
18 lbs lost<br />
11.5 inches toned away<br />
16.50 dropped on the BMI chart<br />
2+ minute PR in the Lighthouse 10K<br />
1 mental roadblock against running CLEARED<br />
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Somewhere in there (day 27? day 74? who knows?) i started to look forward to running again. I officially transferred my November half marathon registration to a full marathon. I've been caught checking out my biceps a time or two. I even added 25 burpees to my workout today, because i *gasp* missed doing them!!<br />
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I'm actively searching for my next challenge (as if training for a marathon over the summer isn't enough.) Maybe you've got one for me? Maybe you'll join me?<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366031457587496623noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36899961.post-45521141362618394732013-06-07T17:29:00.000-04:002013-06-07T17:29:03.437-04:00something about<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZsEHEFDBhtfjcoV8FAM1Wi8uF1tGNpnYwv38l-FWk7KoqlRwilqar2PK1K6zbiYoTqVcHRcNRA-vtVgDkiu2jBeGsJsN82MbCJoPnfSrEm6QgVOZ5nKmqJ-gWT4sTzIyNw5Dw/s1600/uno.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZsEHEFDBhtfjcoV8FAM1Wi8uF1tGNpnYwv38l-FWk7KoqlRwilqar2PK1K6zbiYoTqVcHRcNRA-vtVgDkiu2jBeGsJsN82MbCJoPnfSrEm6QgVOZ5nKmqJ-gWT4sTzIyNw5Dw/s1600/uno.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
something about this picture (taken last night as we awaited the arrival of Tropical Storm Andrea) made me think about old times (how many games have i played with jack on tropical storm eve over the years?)<br />
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something about this picture made me think about all the photos i've taken, and made me cringe a little when i ran through the list of devices and apps where all of these photos are strewn about.<br />
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something about this picture made me miss blogging.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366031457587496623noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36899961.post-72409931804082583292013-03-18T14:05:00.001-04:002013-03-18T14:05:18.146-04:00tobacco road half marathon recap (part 1 of 1)hi. pull up a seat. sorry i didn't tidy up before i sent out my impromptu invitation... feel free to sit anywhere, and please don't mind the clutter. or the lack of snacks. i think i can manage to brew a pot of coffee for us. i'm just glad you were available on short notice.<br />
<br />
i ran a half marathon yesterday. it's hard to believe that i've now completed TWO! four months ago, i could barely contain my excitement over crossing that first finish line. those three little hours generated enough for three different blog posts! i wasn't even sure that i would write a blog post about this second one. i thought maybe a few 140 character tweets would be enough to sum it all up. i might have underestimated.<br />
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i've completed it. i registered for this race in the afterglow of my first half marathon, back in November. back then, i just knew i would stay conditioned, develop my core strength, and shave minutes off of my time. it's safe to say, i did none of those things. race afterglow gave way to holidays, which gave way to sickness, which gave way to - let's be real - a good bit of apathy. at first, my plan was to just keep running. then, it was to jump back on board with the couch to 13.1 program i did last fall. then, it was simply to run when i was inspired, and rely on a lot of muscle memory.<br />
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i ran 3-20 miles per week, with no consistency. my diet was ridicuolous. i went to the gym half-heartedly. i strained a muscle in the back of my knee, which became "the thing to blame" whenever running or working out didn't happen. i got heavier and slower and with a few weeks until race date, i began to look at this half as something i just needed to get through so that i could begin getting back in shape.<br />
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i could get a medal in ridiculous thinking.<br />
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the tobacco road half marathon was a GREAT event, and gave me the opporunity to run with a new-ish local friend, a few new #runchat friends and even a long-ago member of my summer camp family. it fell on lucky St. Patrick's Day, and we ordered sparkly green things for the fun of it. perhaps it was the moment i ordered sparkly arm sleeves that this race became, in my mind, something i didn't need to take so seriously. i don't know. (for the record, i got A LOT of compliments on my sparkly outfit, so no regrets.)<br />
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the race course is a combination of road and rail trail - the trail is a lovely, wide stretch of a disused railroad trail, converted into a multi-use path,which is then used for walking, cycling and horse riding. the trail itself is relatively flat (trains don't really like hills). the streets at the beginning, and again at the end of the race were... not. please keep in mind, these might have been moderate elevations for someone accustomed to running in the Piedmont, but for this coastal girl, they were hills. and plenty of them.<br />
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the 7 am start, which included shuttle bus riding that began at 5:00 for me, was fine. there was coffee and water and bag check and lighting and plenty of porta potties, so the 2 hours we had to wait at the start was minimally uncomfortable. there were 5,000 participants, between the full and the half, and we all started together. there were pace groups, but no waves, so i wasn't entirely sure where i wanted to start among that throng. i do know that we ended up smack dab in the middle with ten minutes to go, and not enough time for one last porta pottie break. <br />
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i don't know about you, but for me, even the tiniest inkling that i have to go to the bathroom becomes an ALL CONSUMING MIND F*CK when i can't get to one. so much so, that the race began, and all i could think about was that the course relief stations wouldn't appear until almost mile 3. as luck would have it, the start of this race ran us through a recreational park, and the standard park restrooms were open. i actually jumped off the race course within the first quarter mile to make a break for the bathroom (and i promise you, i was not the only one.)<br />
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of course this meant that i would spend the first several miles of the race playing "catch up" - and on the hills, to boot. i am not a fast racer, so playing "catch up" can feel like a terribly daunting task. i just set my sights on reeling in one runner at a time, and soon was far enough from dead last that settled in to a good groove. i usually find my groove somewhere between mile 2 and 3, and coincidentally, this is just about where the race moved from pavement to trail. *phew*<br />
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i hit my 5K and 10K splits exactly where i wanted to be. something happened at the turnaround, though. it was a close turnaround on the trail - literally "run around this sign and go back." i don't know why, but the next two miles for me were dreadfully slow. i lost some steam. my legs felt dead. i hydrated and fueled and tried not to glance at the minutes ticking away. i also tried not to think about those hills that were waiting for me in the last 2 1/2 miles. <br />
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i was a little over a minute behind at my 15K split. it didn't get any better. but something about falling behind gave me "permission" to just enjoy the rest of the race. i made my peace with the fact that it wouldn't be anywhere near a PR for me. i shouted "Happy St. Patrick's Day" to all the spectators and gave high fives with abandon. i even managed to reel in a few more runners who had been steps ahead of me the whole way. some of them still got away from me. the hills came, and they were not fun. i was acutely aware of nagging pain in the back of my right knee. i was thankful for a few raindrops.<br />
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and then, the final push. my fabulous friends (who'd been waiting for almost an hour since they finished) were waving signs and cheering me on. the finish was literally right around the corner. well, right around the corner and UPHILL! my name was announced, i had a foil blanket and a medal and more pizza than i could eat.<br />
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half marathon #2 was completed, no longer looming on the horizon. gone were the feelings of guilt that i hadn't trained properly. i finished a full fifteen minutes slower than my first half marathon. i like to say that i ran the race exactly as i trained for it. i could have been faster, for sure. i could have put in more hours training. but i ran - and finished strong - and i'm proud of that. thank you, half marathon #2. i'm so glad to have known you.<br />
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and now it is monday. the day after my second half marathon. what now? i'm registered for half #3 in november, but for now, my races will be 10K or less, and i will be in the gym more. i will sort out this issue with my popliteus muscle. i will recommit to "salad mondays" and green smoothies and i will properly keep track of my calorie intake. <br />
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and, hey, if you see me wearing my green sparkly skirt in the gym, please give me a high five!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366031457587496623noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36899961.post-16214300353674753972012-12-31T16:14:00.000-05:002013-01-03T12:48:45.126-05:00twenty twelveplain and simple...<br />
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<strong>1. What did you do in 2012 that you’d never done before?</strong> i ran a half marathon!! <br />
<strong>2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? </strong>i "continued" my running & fitness, i did not do as well "continuing" my weight loss<br />
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<strong>3. Did anyone close to you give birth?</strong> no<br />
<strong>4. Did anyone close to you die?</strong> no<br />
<strong>5. What countries did you visit</strong>? none<br />
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<strong>6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?</strong> a "me" getaway<br />
<strong>7. What dates from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?</strong> 11.10.12 when i crossed the finish line in rva<br />
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<strong>8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?</strong> crossing that finish line<br />
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<strong>9. What was your biggest failure?</strong> withdrawing a bit, letting outside factors create stress in my life<br />
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<strong>10. Did you suffer illness or injury?</strong> i spent my Christmas "vacation" time in pajamas in bed, for the most part. not fun.<br />
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<strong>11. What was the best thing you bought?</strong> compression socks, new running shoes<br />
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<strong>12. Whose behavior merited celebration?</strong> jack's, as he made the transition from elementary to middle school, and found his way on the football field<br />
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<strong>13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?</strong> i cannot say<br />
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<strong>14. Where did most of your money go? </strong>racing<br />
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<strong>15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?</strong> coffee with friends, tweet-ups, seeing the Canadian Brass live<br />
<strong>16. What song will always remind you of 2012?</strong> Call Me Maybe, anything by The Avett Brothers, Home (Philip Phillips), Moves Like Jagger, Til Kingdom Come<br />
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<strong>17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?</strong> about the same on all fronts<br />
<strong>18. What do you wish you’d done more of?</strong> traveled<br />
<strong>19. What do you wish you’d done less of?</strong> apologized<br />
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<strong>20. Did you fall in love in 2012?</strong> love eludes me<br />
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<strong>21. What was your favorite TV program?</strong> The Olympics, Parenthood<br />
<strong>22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?</strong> it's not hate<br />
<strong>23. What was the best book you read?</strong> all i read was The Hunger Games trilogy, alongside Jack. that is what made it specia<br />
<strong>24. What was your greatest musical discovery?</strong> The Avett Brothers<br />
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<strong>25. What did you want and get?</strong> a bigger running support group<br />
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<strong>26. What did you want and not get?</strong> a new space<br />
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<strong>27. What was your favorite film of this year?</strong> Les Miserables<br />
<strong>28. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?</strong> i did nothing as i turned 43. literally, nothing<br />
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<strong>29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?</strong> MORE TRAVEL, a conference to attend<br />
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<strong>30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?</strong> it's all about the boots and accessories<br />
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<strong>31. What kept you sane?</strong> running. yoga (just started recently). meditating (i lie. this is REALLY hard for me. but i keep trying.<br />
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i've got my eyes on you, 2013...<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366031457587496623noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36899961.post-52920880911852706772012-11-16T08:21:00.002-05:002012-11-16T08:21:30.250-05:00richmond 2012 - part three running a destination race comes with certain challenges: you need to be prepared to take your favorite snacks and fuel with you, you need to navigate an unknown city (sometimes on a dark Friday night, sometimes during a VCU home basketball game), you can't forget your perfectly broken in shoes. and? you might find yourself in the finish area without your family and friends to celebrate with you. <br />
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i was fortunate enough that my cousin and her friends were still hanging around the beer tent when i finished my race (understandably, since most of them live in Richmond, they had other obligations after the race, and couldn't hang out with me all day). and i was also fortunate that my mom and my aunts "just happened" to be having a sister's getaway weekend in RVA this very same weekend. (they weren't at the finish, but we celebrated later over an awesome meal at <a href="http://www.tarrantscaferva.com/" target="_blank">Tarrant's.</a>) my adopted training team was gone... i don't blame them for leaving me. heck, they really didn't even know i was on their team!! ha!<br />
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but somewhere on <a href="http://www.brownsisland.com/" target="_blank">Brown's Island</a>, there were people waiting for me. well, waiting to meet me. or, rather, they kinda sorta knew that maybe i would show up and introduce myself. enter the #runchat tweetup!! some of you know that earlier this year, i set out on a mission to meet some of the amazing people who live in my digital devices. and i've done a pretty decent job of making myself step out of my comfort zone to do just that. (i've had drinks in atlanta, drinks in wilmington, drinks in concord... erm. i'm sensing a trend here. a-hem.<br />
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anyhoo, i was really looking forward to this particular tweetup, as the #runchat community on twitter has provided me with countless moments of motivation, advice, empathy and sheer entertainment. after the 15K race last month, it was #runchat people who talked me through the merits of proper hydration and all that electrolyte mumbo jumbo. they urged me to try compression socks, and oohed and ahhed over pictures of my newest shoes. these guys get "it" - and have become my virtual running group. i was thrilled to find out that i would have a chance to meet some of these incredible people!<br />
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after wandering around a while with my complimentary race beer (guess i should add "drinks in richmond" to the list), i was able to track down liz, who had just finished her first half marathon, as well. in solidarity, we waited (and waited, and waited) for any sign of other #runchat people. (pro tip: finding people who look like "#runchat people" in the finish area of a race with 10,000+ participants who look like "running people" can be more challenging than one might think!) we happily chatted a lot of folks, and liz must have lent her cell phone to a half dozen who were trying to connect with their friends and family post race.<br />
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then there they were, in the designated spot: david and scott heather and jen and several other people. lots of introductions and high fives and hashing out of what had just happened on the course for each of us. stickers and temporary tattoos were passed around. smiles and hugs were shared. (not surprisingly, high fives and smiles are even better in person than they are on-line.) i am thrilled to have been able to spend time with these guys, and happy to call them my running group!<br />
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after a long walk back up that steep hill to my hotel, my afternoon was filled with text updates from jack's football game with intermittent periods of napping. and hydrating. cousin liz and i caught the tail end of the Taste the Local craft beer festival/fundraiser, where we met briana of <a href="http://www.stilleasierthanchemo.com/" target="_blank">Still Easier Than Chemo</a>. she is running 12 half marathons in 12 months in memory of her mother. amazing!! </div>
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dinner was phenomenal, and bedtime was early! back home on Sunday, i realized just how easy it is to talk about my race experience to anyone who dare asks, "so, how was it?" i'm also pleased to report that my medal goes with just about every outfit i own! ;)</div>
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so what's next? another race, of course!! several, in fact. jack and i will run a few 5Ks over the upcoming holiday season. i'm participating in Runner's World Holiday Streak (run at least one mile every day between Thanksgiving and Christmas). my favorite trail run has done away with the 10K and added a 15K. and i have my sights set on another destination half in march or april (rock and roll D.C., anyone?) </div>
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(and, oh yeah. i totally took advantage of a discounted race fee and i'll see you next year, Richmond!)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366031457587496623noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36899961.post-3787528302111458342012-11-15T09:38:00.002-05:002012-11-15T09:38:31.390-05:00richmond 2012 - part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
corral K inched ever closer to the start, i decided pretty much at that moment that i was going to run sans run/walk prompts from runkeeper. i had been mulling over this idea most of the night - would i be able to hear the prompts (i don't wear earbuds or listen to music when training), would my phone battery last the morning, would my gps be strong enough to get an accurate reading throughout the course, etc. any one of those issues could have been easily solved, but i think, in that moment, i really felt that the best way to run "my race" was to experience the "whole race" by trusting that my body was ready and my mind was willing. i will never, ever regret this decision. </div>
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and with that, and an awestruck glance into the marathon line up happening to my left, we were over the starting line and headed down Broad Street! i love the beginning moments of a race, with everyone jockeying for position and pace, friends and strangers cheering, no thought of the miles (and miles, and miles) that lie ahead... i honestly believe that i know within the first four minutes of a race how that race is going to go for me. and here i was, jogging through a city i'd never visited before, with the silliest grin on my face. i knew, i knew right then that i would run and smile my way through richmond, and i sure as hell didn't need runkeeper to tell me how to do it!</div>
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the first half of the race is a little bit of a blur for me, but there are some definite highlights:</div>
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<li>passing the first band, and silently groaning when they messed up the intro to "Sweet Child of Mine"</li>
<li>hearing "Eye of the Tiger" from speakers on a random building</li>
<li>marveling as the elite marathoners passed by</li>
<li>seeing my mom and my aunts cheering for me shortly after mile 2</li>
<li>singing along (loudly) to "Fat Bottom Girls"</li>
<li>smiling at the boy who was obviously handing out his Halloween candy as we ran by</li>
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before long, i was rounding the u-turn between miles 4 and 5, and found myself in conversation with a young woman who was running this half for the second time. we stayed together for a bit, as she filled me in on what was yet to come. i shared my concerns about the hills (i live in coastal North Carolina, and there's not much opportunity to train on hills in my neck of the woods). she shared that the "worst of the hills" would be through Bryan Park and cautioned that many people hit the wall shortly thereafter because they push it too hard in that section. </div>
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and after a few more turns, there i was, on the slow decent into the park. (the park is a loop, with an in/out entrance. i don't think anyone missed the fact that, while we were enjoying this easy-ish downhill into the park, thousands of runners were making their way back UP, just on the other side of the caution tape. for me, this was a little added incentive to keep it cool through the next few miles.)</div>
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and then i found myself alongside a training team. training teams are a Very Big Deal for this race. Sports Backers alone had thousands or runners participate in their half training program. (is it like this in all bigger races? i was fascinated!) this particular team and i were running at about the same pace, and i absolutely let them pace me through the park. see them there in the blue tank tops? i loved this little squad and their chipper chit-chat. i loved the woman who called their cadences by the timer on her watch. i loved the woman who asked if anyone wanted a pretzel, or Skittles. i loved the guy who reminded them to turn their knees out on the downhills (who knew?). seriously, I LOVED THESE GUYS!! </div>
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before i knew it, we were across the 10K mark, and nearing the last of the bryan park hills. i was still running and smiling, taking water at every stop, and eating my gatorade chews about every three miles. coming up one of the final hills, i came across the sweetest grandmotherly type offering a "peppermint patty for a pick me up." how sweet!! i ran with that peppermint patty in my hand for a few minutes, debating what to do with it. as it started to get a little bit melty, and with one last thought about the fact that "you shouldn't eat it if you haven't trained with it," i popped that little sucker right into my mouth.</div>
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oh.my.word. within minutes i was nauseous! i don't know if it was the candy, or the two cups of water i'd just had, or a combination, but for the first time in over two years of running, i actually felt like i might throw up! thankfully, the moment passed, and the lesson learned? don't take candy from strangers :)</div>
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who knew that a peppermint patty was just the beginning of the crazy things that i would be offered throughout the second half of the race?!? coming out of the park, we slogged through the sticky block were kids were passing out Accel gels. (again, i took one. and i carried that sucker with me for five miles before chucking it in a trash can!!) what is it with me? apparently i will accept any gift that is offered to me on the race course!! where were the people with sparkly headbands, i ask you? now THAT'S a gift i would have loved!!</div>
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i was NOT tempted by the liquor shots, or the dixie cups of beer, though. i know my body well enough to know that either of those would have been a very.bad.idea. the gummy bears just before mile 10 seemed innocuous enough, and i actually did enjoy those.</div>
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i knew from my 12 mile training run that miles 9-11 could be tough for me. i was, in fact, having a nagging ache in my left hip/lower back. (twenty five year old back injuries never really let you forget about them, do they?) i played around with my stride and pace, and took some advil. it was either the pain reliever or the Lady Gaga played by the college age DJ, but they symptoms disappeared quickly.</div>
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my adopted training team was still nearby, and shortly before mile 10, i came upon them at a standstill. in fact, the police were stopping all of us for a moment as the first marathoner came flying by! this was the point where the two courses came together, and i'll tell you what: there is nothing more humbling than chugging along at a thirteen plus minute mile and hearing a five minute miler sneaking up on your left!</div>
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at some point in a long run, you realize that you're "only" this many more miles from the finish. one of my favorite parts of this race had to have been the Endurance 5K "starting line" at mile 10. there was a fresh energy at this point, and it was really fun to run under that banner and pretend (even for a moment) that we were just starting an easy little 5K.</div>
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the final three miles were a little challenging to me, physically. i was definitely tired, but glad to have staved off the nagging back ache. we had to run through some areas where spectators had already packed up and headed home. it was warm. a few times i expected to see a mile marker well before i actually did. but i was still running! and smiling! i know i was slower than i had been, and was getting a little frustrated that people i hadn't noticed earlier in the race, were now starting to pass me. or, at least, that's what i assumed was happening when all of a sudden i would see different shirts around me. looking back, i know that i was actually passing some people who had been ahead of me the entire race. i was actually able to "reel in" a few people, and for me, this close to the finish, it was a HUGE feeling of accomplishment!</div>
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and then? then i rounded that final corner onto 5th, and the street literally swept down towards the river and the finish line. it was breathtaking! and steep. when they advertise a downhill finish, they mean business! i was very emotional and wondering how i was going to breathe and run and cross the finish line while fighting back the CRYING. (does anyone else suffer from this?) thank goodness someone from my adopted training team showed up at my side at just that moment. we fell into easy and inspirational conversation all the way to the finish. most importantly, she distracted my from CRYING. (seriously, adopted training team, I LOVE YOU GUYS!)</div>
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and then, and then i crossed the finish line! three months and so many miles past, and i remembered to throw my arms up and enjoy the moment!!</div>
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and even though the official clock was showing the finish times for those insane marathoners, i knew immediately that i finished in under three hours!! and listen, when you are a slow runner who is (let's get real) a bit afraid to set finish time goals, small victories like finishing a half marathon in under three hours is a really big freaking deal!! like, "i could have signed up for an earlier wave" kinda big deal!!<br />
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the finish area in richmond was beautiful! within minutes i had received high fives and a medal and was on the lookout for my cousin, my bag, and a beer. my adopted training team had dispersed, and for a moment, i was just one finisher among thousands, feeling a little lost in the crowd. it's a good thing i still had a #runchat tweetup to look forward to...<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366031457587496623noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36899961.post-59417011767577228962012-11-14T09:15:00.000-05:002013-12-31T23:07:34.663-05:00richmond half marathon 2012 - part one<a href="http://bit.ly/UGslFU">here</a> is the post as it appears on amuse-bouche.<br /><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366031457587496623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36899961.post-20620809448240200012012-11-14T09:12:00.003-05:002012-11-14T09:12:31.629-05:00richmond 2012 - part one<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
whoa! did you see that dust cloud when i opened up blogger this morning? my apologies!! i know it's been a while since i visited, but i've got stories to tell that won't be told in 140 characters (ahem, twitter). why don't you just grab a cup of coffee (or tea, or chai, or water) and i'll tell you one of them...</div>
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last weekend, i went to richmond, va to run my very first half marathon!! what what?? that's right! aw c'mon, you guys... you've known about my running for a few years now. you remember when i came in <a href="http://lellysmusings.blogspot.com/2011/11/view-from-back-here.html" target="_blank">DEAD LAST</a> in the 10K trail run just a year ago. (no, really. dead. last. you should go read that post.)</div>
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well, i'm still running, despite the threat of the blair witch (i TOLD you to go read that post!) and, in fact, i've run 7 races this year already, with at least 2 more to go. but this one? this was a pretty.big.deal. and it all started this summer with a (not so) innocent text from my cousin:</div>
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now, liz ran the richmond half last year for the first time. i remember her telling me about it as we waited at the start of a turkey trot shortly thereafter. you should be very, very careful at the beginning of a turkey trot when you are all feeling like a competent runner and your cousin says you should shoot for a half marathon. just sayin'.<br />
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so, despite the fact that i don't live in richmond. and i hadn't run further than 10K at one time since february, (i even registered for a half down here in tiny town, but an injury prevented me from participating. that injury was more mental than physical, but more on that another time), i found myself coughing up the registration fee and searching frantically for a couch to half app. (there are many stories to tell about the training, but i'll get to those in another post. i certainly don't want you to miss out on my zombie runs. or the 15K race that changed everything about how i run. or how running saved my life.)<br />
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but, for now, fast forward to last weekend. i arrived in richmond friday evening, checked into my hotel (i don't often get to take advantage of my hotel family travel perks, but finding a hotel two blocks from the start? SCORE!!) then i made my way over to the expo, which was an entirely overwhelming experience for me. just walking in the door sent my emotions into overdrive. with bib in hand and shirt retrieved, i made approximately forty-seven laps around the expo floor. since i had arrived in town with most everything a girl could need for her first half marathon - fuel belt? check. compression socks? check. The Stick (tm)? check.- i wasn't really looking to buy anything. but i couldn't shake the feeling that i *needed* to get so much more: a sparkly headband! a wacky runner's humor tee shirt! throw away gloves! gu! i picked up a pair of thermal sleeves from <a href="https://www.onemoremilerunning.com/" target="_blank">one more mile</a> (functional! and witty!) and headed out to meet up with liz and her friends for dinner.<br />
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and then i was back in my hotel room, pacing and setting alarms and not hyperventilating. i laid out my outfit, suffered through a twenty minute phone call with an overtired 11 year old who couldn't get skype to work, and settled in for the night. i set my first alarm for 4 (the plan was to eat a bagel and go back to sleep for a few hours). i awoke as soon as it went off, and had the bagel in my hand, only to realize that i had only dreamed the alarm went off, and it was, in fact, only 2:38! at "the real 4 a.m." i ate my bagel and fell back to sleep, thoroughly lost in that dream when you are approaching the starting line, but it keeps getting further and further away from you. you know that dream? that dream SUCKS!!<br />
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at six, i was up for real, drinking a cup of coffee and a eating clif bar. i rolled out my calf muscles a little, did 100 ups, double checked the bag that i was going to check, and texted this quick snap shot to the family. (do i look nervous? i was going for "hey, i got this! it's gonna RAWK!" i don't think that's exactly what i got.) then, it was downstairs for the two block walk to the starting area. i loved this commute!!</div>
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the 8K race was just starting as i followed the crowds toward the corrals. to say the air was electric was an UNDERSTATEMENT!! with 8,000 runners registered for the half, plus another couple thousand each in the 8K and the marathon, it was a veritable sea of spandex and bathrobes and hats and trash bags (it was cold, and the wind whipping along the street where the porta-potties were line up was bone-chilling!) i ate a banana and some gatorade chews, stowed my long sleeve shirt and checked my bag, and caught up with liz. she took this photo to email to our moms so they would (hopefully) be able to pick us out of the crowds as we ran by them. this was also the last time i would see liz until beer. i mean, the "finish area."<br />
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i made my way back to the K wave. the back of the pack. the "when i signed up for this race, i truly wondered if i would make the four hour cutoff" corral. i planted myself somewhere right in the middle, and listened to the chatter around me. the half marathon began at 7:30. and it would be 22 minutes before i crossed the start line...<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366031457587496623noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36899961.post-680450095644957262012-11-08T16:52:00.002-05:002012-11-08T16:52:12.258-05:00<a href="http://onefootatatime.blogspot.com/2012/11/and-now.html" target="_blank">one foot at a time</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366031457587496623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36899961.post-26790220384293281812012-11-08T16:48:00.000-05:002013-12-31T23:07:34.693-05:00and nowfive years ago, i started this blog, with the intention of completing a marathon before my 40th birthday.<br /><br />five years later, and i'm almost <em>43</em>. and tomorrow i leave for a trip in which i will run a <em>half</em> marathon.<br /><br />i'm am excited beyond measure!!<br /><br />don't put time limits on your goals, kids. <br /><br />see you in 13.1Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366031457587496623noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36899961.post-28916498468287366262012-03-20T18:57:00.001-04:002012-03-20T18:58:18.319-04:00sptOn Sunday, it was for fun. So much fun, that I knew I needed it to be a little more permanent. <br />
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On Tuesday, I did just that. <div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTTaB5kiBR6CLfpU0BxJ3kzC9u8pHnumo4n4RO1tINW-aiGMEM1cQXG4sVs-EvYGgaFMp7BZAbZMGAon0hBMCBeBTGphWb_a_WiAy_NgCgh4pBqBRf2bfc36DEL5bevekX1QzO/s640/blogger-image--1313182512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTTaB5kiBR6CLfpU0BxJ3kzC9u8pHnumo4n4RO1tINW-aiGMEM1cQXG4sVs-EvYGgaFMp7BZAbZMGAon0hBMCBeBTGphWb_a_WiAy_NgCgh4pBqBRf2bfc36DEL5bevekX1QzO/s640/blogger-image--1313182512.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366031457587496623noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36899961.post-85002814175914995082012-01-17T15:13:00.001-05:002012-01-17T15:13:12.166-05:00spt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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big things happening at hampton inn southport!! like my hat?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366031457587496623noreply@blogger.com9