tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86366108381339428292024-03-14T01:45:00.460-04:00Breaking (down) the BankSome "capitol" thoughts on personal finance and consumerismDouble Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11383069026743835206noreply@blogger.comBlogger112125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8636610838133942829.post-60731811260172592642014-11-20T18:18:00.000-05:002014-11-20T18:18:21.075-05:00On Marriage and Grad School<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There is no diploma awarded for successfully
surviving your spouse’s graduate school program. It’s true – you also cried. You were awakened
at all hours of the night. You did the laundry, shopping, cooking, cleaning and
money earning for two this whole time, and you tried very hard not to keep
score. Maybe you moved to a new city and got a new job. Maybe you spent some
late nights and long car rides debating a subject you know nothing about, and
your lunch break googling design parameters. You dreaded the stress of finals
week and you celebrated the end of each semester (even though you realized that
you were not the one getting a 3 week break). You <i>cared.</i> You <i>invested.</i> And now
that it’s time for graduation, you may be feeling like <i>you don’t matter. <o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s no secret that being married and in grad
school sucks for everyone involved. One of the things that made the whole thing
bearable for me was the fact that I really felt like we were doing it together –
He needed to focus, so I made sure that he didn’t have to worry about any of
those day-to-day functioning things like bills, oil changes and obtaining food.
Then any free time he had was spent re-charging and spending quality time with
me. I take pride in the fact that I contributed to his success by always
supporting him, listening to his ideas and critiquing his work when he asked. Now
that he’s about to don his cap and gown, and everyone is calling him Master, I
feel<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">empty.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It also doesn’t seem right to take any of this
moment away from him – he earned it! And I’m sure he could have done it without
me, though he would smell worse and have slept less. I’m not asking for a
ticker tape parade, or to have my name stamped on the diploma. I don’t really
think I’m asking for anything, actually. It’s not terribly comfortable; it
feels like a let-down right now. But just because I won’t be receiving an
advanced degree in exchange for all my work, doesn’t mean it isn’t a team
victory. I’m learning that marriage is sometimes about quietly standing behind
the person you’ve chosen to share your life with, in the shadows, and having
their appreciation be enough. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And maybe taking a really extravagant vacation
together too. </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8636610838133942829.post-52968807811151052972013-04-20T22:32:00.001-04:002013-04-20T22:33:24.273-04:00Run Long, But Maybe Not This Long...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I ran 16 miles today, which is kind of an exciting milestone for me. 16 miles is officially the farthest I have ever travelled on foot in one day. The Grige and I did a few 15 mile days when we were backpacking in Yosemite. They were killer, because they ended up coinciding with our biggest elevation changes. Unlike running, backpacking downhill is about the most painful thing a person can do. Our first 15 mile day ended with 8+ miles of rocky, miserable downhill. The views were amazing, but I've never seen the Grige so miserable, and I wasn't much better.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0TP9qeWgPZE/UXNFisJhgfI/AAAAAAAAAsI/SzuQtHTsLVk/s1600/DSC00535.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0TP9qeWgPZE/UXNFisJhgfI/AAAAAAAAAsI/SzuQtHTsLVk/s640/DSC00535.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trust me, you don't want to have that much mountain still in front of you at sunset. Ever. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I've never forgotten that day, and my last two long runs have proved that 15 miles is indeed a formidable distance for the human feet/legs to travel in one day. last week, I really fought through the last two miles. This week, I had to fight through the last 4 miles. I may have cried a little bit around mile 14, and only visualizing finishing the marathon kept me moving forward (right around granny speed-walking pace).<br />
<br />
So here is the deal: It's scary to have the long runs be this hard. I have been unbelievable lucky to have had amazing 50 degree sunny days for both runs. I've also not had a single gastro issue in two weeks (YES!!!). But I still end up collapsing on my porch at the end of the runs before I can attempt our front stairs. Also, I am SLOW. My last 2 miles today had close to 14:00 min splits. That is DEPRESSING. 26.2 miles feels impossible after today.<br />
<br />
I'm really hopeful that this is just a tough barrier that my body will push through in the coming weeks. It's been 3 weeks since my last step back, and I think it's time for another. I'm planning to do a slow swim tomorrow for recovery, which brings me to a new gear addition! <a href="http://www.rei.com/product/831594/the-stick-traveler-roller-massager?cm_mmc=cse_froogle-_-pla-_-product-_-831594&mr:referralID=13c0d84f-aa27-11e2-9389-001b2166c62d">THE STICK</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AV8O5Y9iU9A/UXNPqWVfpAI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/sRg_1qpaHBs/s1600/profile.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AV8O5Y9iU9A/UXNPqWVfpAI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/sRg_1qpaHBs/s400/profile.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
Recovery has taken on a whole new meaning for me lately - I'm almost ready to give in on those stupid compression socks. But for now, this thing, in addition to my foam roller, is WHERE IT'S AT. It feels so good. In concert with some backwards running, this has really ironed out my quad issues. My recovery strategy has also expanded to include recovery foods, like pineapple and bananas. For example: I'm drinking a delicious pineapple mojito tonight! It's the ultimate recovery tool.<br />
<br />
Here's hoping my 18 miler in two weeks is easier. I need to get a long run winner in before we head to <a href="http://breakingdownthebank.blogspot.com/2013/03/life-list-fail-and-accompanying-silver.html">Greece</a>!<br />
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Double Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11383069026743835206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8636610838133942829.post-46739479630947346922013-04-15T22:02:00.000-04:002013-04-15T22:02:43.633-04:00Adulthood<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The following is the conversation that a 26 year-old woman (who has been living away from home for over 8 years and has traveled much of the globe alone) had with her mother this week.<br />
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Mom: "Are you getting excited for your honeymoon? Have you started packing yet?!"<br />
<br />
Me: "Yes! I'm so excited, and I can't wait! I actually bought two new dresses for the trip, but I can wear them to work too, so it's a total win!"<br />
<br />
Normal so far...<br />
<br />
Mom: "Oh, honey. Just don't forget to pack a sweater or something to keep you warm!"<br />
<br />
Me: "um... okay. Thanks, Mom...."<br />
<br />
Because our mamas, they are always our mamas.<br />
<br />
And yes, Mom. I will be sure to pack a sweater or SOMETHING. Today, tomorrow, always.<br />
<br />
Happy almost Mother's day. I love mine so much!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rnrUSpw90Kk/UWywvqhnRzI/AAAAAAAAAr4/FdtTJZUqPGE/s1600/Our+Wedding+-70.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rnrUSpw90Kk/UWywvqhnRzI/AAAAAAAAAr4/FdtTJZUqPGE/s640/Our+Wedding+-70.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: <a href="http://www.summerjeanphotography.com/">Summer Jean Photography</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
Double Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11383069026743835206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8636610838133942829.post-23836860294343424722013-04-15T14:59:00.000-04:002013-04-15T14:59:41.625-04:00Oh, Hey! This morning featured some alarm mal-functioning (likely human error), which I did not handle gracefully. I revoked the Grige's alarm privleges ("No more snoozing for you!!") and generally acted like a total Hulk. And he has an interview today. ugh. Happy Monday to us, more coffee please!<br />
<br />
In what can only be described as a karmic oxy-moron, I've had some writing published over at <a href="http://www.apracticalwedding.com/">APW</a> today. If you've found your way here via that post - WELCOME! I'm so happy you're here! Here are some posts you might enjoy:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://breakingdownthebank.blogspot.com/search/label/Wedding">Weddings</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://breakingdownthebank.blogspot.com/search/label/Marriage">Marriage</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://breakingdownthebank.blogspot.com/search/label/Feminism">Feminism</a><br />
<br />
I have to go un-jam a printer for the umpteenth time this morning, proving that the universe didn't totally ignore my alarm-yelling meltdown. I'd be thrilled to hear from you in the comments, and if you live in St. Louis - send me an email and let's totally hang out sometime! (please). <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8636610838133942829.post-65535743314519937922013-04-14T11:18:00.004-04:002013-04-14T11:19:23.033-04:00Life List: Unapologetically wear bright red lipstick<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This "project" got kicked into high gear 2 months ago when I got bangs. As it turns out, bangs literally beg you to wear bright lipstick, as does the onset of spring.<br />
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Since I'm cheap, and this blog is technically about personal finance, I'll tell you that I started by grabbing a few cheap-o lipsticks at target. The moral of that story is that something like bright lipstick should really be left to the professionals. I love the "makeup counter" one I got a lot more. I'm sure someone with more experience could do better at the drugstore than I did though. So here's the lipstick progression for you:<br />
<br />
1. Here's my regular "pumped up" lip look (by which I mean, I bothered to put on something other than Burt's Bees chapstick). It's Bobbi Brown "Nude 9" lip liner pencil and Chanel #94 lip gloss "Sundress". I have thinner lips, so the liner pumps them up but the gloss only keeps them pretty neutral.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H2DvN7Oiirw/UWq6p_gAZtI/AAAAAAAAAqk/2ObNNhsG5IE/s1600/Photo+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H2DvN7Oiirw/UWq6p_gAZtI/AAAAAAAAAqk/2ObNNhsG5IE/s400/Photo+8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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2. Here's the look I wore for my wedding. It's Bobbi Brown #7 "Rose Petal" glossy lipstick. I like it, because it's just slightly north of my exact natural lip color, but comes off a little heavier than just gloss and liner.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YdrXCBIHqhw/UWq8Mz-k1pI/AAAAAAAAAqs/C0Lkwup3EXM/s1600/Photo+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YdrXCBIHqhw/UWq8Mz-k1pI/AAAAAAAAAqs/C0Lkwup3EXM/s400/Photo+9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Now, I know what you're thinking. There is essentially NO DIFFERENCE between those two photos. You are totally right, which leads me to the life list item: Unapologetically wear bright red lipstick. It's a little out of my comfort zone, to say the least.<br />
<br />
I ended up with a blue-red and an orange-red. The blue red is supposed to be awesome for making your teeth look white. I think they both do a good job of that though.<br />
<br />
So first, my Target purchase. This is Maybelline Super Stay 14 hour lipstick in 070 "Enduring Ruby". I feel doubtful that this would stay on for 14 hours, but whatever. I like that it smells good and doesn't require liner (in my totally inexperienced opinion). It also doesn't totally taste like wax/fish scales, which I'm a fan of. However, it's REALLY dark/purple-y and I feel like I have to be really choosy about what I wear it with as a result. So I haven't worn it as much as I wanted to.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bCR_SDxpS_M/UWrBG_8QNvI/AAAAAAAAArE/Z5E2Imoqy_A/s1600/Photo+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bCR_SDxpS_M/UWrBG_8QNvI/AAAAAAAAArE/Z5E2Imoqy_A/s400/Photo+11.jpg" width="400" /></a> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fjeayxkuiFQ/UWrA8ESJ0YI/AAAAAAAAAq8/CoAleZZf7Uk/s1600/Photo+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fjeayxkuiFQ/UWrA8ESJ0YI/AAAAAAAAAq8/CoAleZZf7Uk/s400/Photo+10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And now, for the big finish. I took myself to the mall for some new tights, and found myself at the MAC counter. I ended up with AB2 "Ruby Woo" in Matte with AA2 lip pencil in "Cherry". This stuff is so super matte that you pretty much can't put it on without blending with a light gloss (I just use a layer of Burt's Bees first). lip liner is an absolute MUST. However, that means that it is not going ANYWHERE. I wore this to a wedding and made it through the entire dinner/cocktail reception without needing to re-apply. I LOVE this lipstick. so much so that I wear it at home while I'm cleaning because it just makes me feel that Fabulous. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qVKR9eEsBhM/UWrEwccdtLI/AAAAAAAAArY/Qe0U-fxVkw8/s1600/Photo+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qVKR9eEsBhM/UWrEwccdtLI/AAAAAAAAArY/Qe0U-fxVkw8/s400/Photo+15.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aokSE5MOpyY/UWrEwYqMB8I/AAAAAAAAArc/V7hFMlsjkBo/s1600/Photo+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aokSE5MOpyY/UWrEwYqMB8I/AAAAAAAAArc/V7hFMlsjkBo/s400/Photo+13.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'm sure it comes as no surprise that I'm kind of obsessed with j.Crew. This lipstick really reminds me of what they put on their models (albeit slightly toned down on me). I love putting it on with a broadcloth collared shirt, pearls, comfy jeans and Sperry's. It makes me feel so chic! It doesn't go over the best here in Missouri, but I refuse to give up the east coast ghost just because I live in a place where crocs are considered acceptable footwear. </div>
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I love this red lipstick so much that I actually crossed off my life list item when I used this picture for work (cropped to look less like a selfie, of course). BOOM. If that's not unapologetic, I don't know what is.</div>
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Also, I have to be fair and say that the Grige HATES all lipstick on me. I think most guys probably do - it makes the kissing harder. However, that just kind of makes me like it more, because it means I'm doing in 100% for me - because it makes <i>me</i> feel good. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5KDuVCTrKuI/UWrGsqEdfHI/AAAAAAAAAro/d3zLlJiUAsU/s1600/65281_10102483037305153_1653884920_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5KDuVCTrKuI/UWrGsqEdfHI/AAAAAAAAAro/d3zLlJiUAsU/s400/65281_10102483037305153_1653884920_n.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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So I'm wondering, what other fun makeup challenges can I do? I always thought this was a weird life list item, but in addition to being low-hanging fruit challenge-wise, it's been a lot of fun! </div>
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Double Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11383069026743835206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8636610838133942829.post-24987384381065359522013-04-13T18:59:00.003-04:002013-04-13T19:00:12.000-04:00The Marathon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yesterday, I registered for the Charelvoix marathon in beautiful Charlevoix Michigan.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zRXCDcynO0w/UWl7TmMUwwI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/7wSC5FzLn_E/s1600/Charlevoix_Marathon_Map.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="494" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zRXCDcynO0w/UWl7TmMUwwI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/7wSC5FzLn_E/s640/Charlevoix_Marathon_Map.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://charlevoixmarathon.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Charlevoix_Marathon_Map.jpg</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I am kind of nervous, especially since my least favorite part of my half marathon was the 2 miles of close proximity out-and-back. However, I'm hoping that I'll be focused on the views instead of faster runners. If you've never been to west Michigan, you are really missing out. Pristine beaches, nice people, low prices, perfect 70-80 degree summer days. To be honest, I'm pretty excited about running there!<br />
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I am also nervous because I ran 15 miles earlier today, and I seriously wanted to die for most of the last 2 miles. All I could think about was lying down in the grass and just taking a nap. So running 11.2 miles after that seems pretty impossible right now. However, running 15 miles seemed impossible a few weeks ago, so I guess I'll just keep plugging ahead!<br />
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I have been thinking a lot this week about my healthy goals for this year. Obviously, I'm pleased with how I've done with my exercise goals. However, I could definitely mix it up with cross training. I'll be attempting to attend one fit camp class per week and one yoga class per week. As far as food, it's been hard to balance my running related caloric needs with my goal to eat healthier. I'm trying hard to re-calibrate for this next phase of training by eating salad for lunch on week days. It's been really helpful to add V8 juice whenever I can. It give me extra calories in the form of fruits and veggies.<br />
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That's about it from around here today - I'll be cooling my heels on the couch and drinking cider for the rest of the afternoon. What does your Saturday look like?<br />
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Double Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11383069026743835206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8636610838133942829.post-65583598703704910432013-04-10T22:59:00.000-04:002013-04-10T23:00:34.354-04:00A Few Words From the Bathtub on Marriage and Independence<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I write this from the bathtub, where I am sitting, with my shoes on, listening to tornado sirens wail. If you take one thing away from this post, let it be this:<br />
<br />
Rule #1 of home disaster preparedness is PUT YOUR DAMN SHOES ON. When it's too late to buy extra water and food, make a family disaster plan, or any of those other things that are so important, please please PLEASE put shoes on yourself and your family. Imagine trying to climb out of a house with a blown off roof and covered in debris (Or run from a zombie) without shoes, and you will see what I mean.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QP_AyexkaRE/UP3Mtr1_omI/AAAAAAAAAfM/arIThuaZAAk/s1600/2013-01-21_13-42-27_673.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QP_AyexkaRE/UP3Mtr1_omI/AAAAAAAAAfM/arIThuaZAAk/s400/2013-01-21_13-42-27_673.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Safety First.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
And now, back to our regularly scheduled blogging.<br />
<br />
One of the things I was most worried about before the Grige and I got married was losing my independence. I was worried that there was a "Single Emily" that I would never get to know, or that being half of a marriage would mean that I was no longer a whole person. Most of all, I think I was/am afraid of not knowing how to be alone. In retrospect, you would think he had proposed that we become conjoined twins instead of getting married.<br />
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Well let me tell you (alone from the bathtub in the middle of a tornado), this first year of marriage has been a freaking crash course in "aloneness". I'm pretty sure I get my advanced certification after tonight. Perhaps you think I'm being dramatic, and maybe I am. But I was deeply afraid that marrying young would leave me unprepared for moments like this. And here I am, alone, in the candle-lit bathtub on the phone with my mom (WITH MY SHOES ON), and I will definitely survive.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DYx4jPj2fTk/UWYmFRjuVlI/AAAAAAAAAqA/1MYSxNC2lnM/s1600/DSC01251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DYx4jPj2fTk/UWYmFRjuVlI/AAAAAAAAAqA/1MYSxNC2lnM/s640/DSC01251.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">INDEPENDENT MARRIED LADIES!</td></tr>
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Quite the opposite, our new marriage has pushed me geographically, professionally, physically, mentally and emotionally. We moved to St. Louis, I faced down unemployment and accepted a new job where I'm pushed harder everyday, I ran a half marathon, sought out professional writing opportunities, and learned how to be alone in a new city (WHERE THEY HAVE TORNADOS) while my husband focuses on his graduate program. I also learned how to use power tools, haggle with mechanics and parallel park. Look out, world!<br />
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So I'm raising my tornado-bathtub glass of wine (yes, there is a wine bottle and a sippy cup in my tornado bag) to all the independent married ladies out there. Because marriage is not the same as being surgically attached, and sometimes marriage pushes us to more independence than our single selves could have imagined.<br />
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Double Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11383069026743835206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8636610838133942829.post-53447716059799875062013-04-09T00:03:00.001-04:002013-04-09T00:03:59.973-04:00Race Recap Part II - Go! St. Louis Half Marathon - The FEELINGS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Running a half marathon has been on my life list for a while (try 5 years). I’ve failed in the attempt a number of times before this, so it’s not surprising that I have a lot of FEELINGS about my finish. I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but my biggest struggle with running is definitely mental. As the Grige tells me constantly (and yelled at me during the race – highlighting the reason we no longer run together), “You can go FASTER than that! TRY HARDER!”. I finished my race strong, but I haven’t learned how to push myself to the limit yet. However, finishing was a huge confidence boost, and I believe that conquering a marathon will give me the push I need to start working on speed. So, the FEELINGS:<br /><br /> <b><br /></b></span><div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pFcbHN3CHkM/UWOSefnVE_I/AAAAAAAAAGc/eDIEC9loS2A/s1600/DSC_5621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pFcbHN3CHkM/UWOSefnVE_I/AAAAAAAAAGc/eDIEC9loS2A/s400/DSC_5621.JPG" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>What Surprised me:</b><br /><br />I was totally unprepared for the emotional rollercoaster that goes with preparing for a race. I was SO NERVOUS on Saturday that I could barely sleep. Watching UMich basketball (barely) beat Syracuse in the Final Four did not sooth my nerves (Longest 2 minutes of my life, seriously). But they won! So I went to bed happy. My nerves continued Sunday morning as we sat in traffic at the race exit.<br /><br />During the race, I felt amazing – elated. I can’t believe how much I actually enjoyed running. There were tons of people, and even though I was hurting, I felt happy. I did not expect that AT ALL. The finish, especially, was really emotional for me. I sprinted my last mile, and plowing through that finish line was just overwhelming. I felt like I was going to cry (luckily, I didn’t). Honestly, the last time I felt that emotional was walking down the aisle at our wedding.<br /><br />Finally, I was really worried that the fact that I wasn’t used to getting up early/running in the morning would hurt me. I don’t think it actually had any impact at all. I was so nervous that getting up was no problem and I felt fine while I was running. I’m glad to push that worry out of the way for marathon training, because running in the evenings has been working out really well for me schedule-wise.<br /><br /> <b>What didn’t Surprise me:</b><br /><br />The logistics of getting to big events on time are always a bit stressor for me, and I planned accordingly. The Grige drove me in so that I didn’t have much to worry about. But I’m one of those people who is always at the airport an hour before I need to be “just in case” and I’m still nauseous the whole time. Race morning was no exception, and I was a ball of nerves. As a result, I’ll be extra cautious about which races I sign up for moving forward. I think that travelling to a race will be nice, because I’ll be able to stay in a hotel close to the start, eliminating a lot of travel stress.<br /><br />My pace was also no big surprise. I ran at the pace of my best training runs (not 1 minute/mile faster, as some training plans suggested I would be able to). In retrospect, I probably could have pushed it harder. However, I kept thinking about the fact that I’m running 15 miles this Saturday and how I didn’t want to be dead for that. Truthfully, this is just the half-way point in marathon training, and I’m happy to have logged a half marathon time that I can compete with in the coming years. However, I would be lying if I told you I thought I couldn’t do any better. I am stronger and faster than I think, and breaking those mental barriers is one of the great challenges of running for me.</span></div>
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<br /><br /> <b>What went wrong</b><br /><br />My stomach totally went bonkers on me at mile 4, which meant losing 3 minutes (I timed it) to a port-a-potty stop. Annoying. I was also really sick for the rest of the day yesterday and have been on a liquid diet since the finish as a result. I ate my breakfast with lots of extra time and ate the BRAT (Bananas, Rice, Apples and Toast) diet starting 2 days before the race. I don’t think there’s anything else I could have done, but I’ll continue to try tweaking things. I may give immodium a try before my next long run, just to see if it helps.<br /><br />Sunday was the warmest day we’ve had so far, and I paid the price for doing all of my training outdoors. Since I’m used to running in extremely cold weather, this is the first time I broke out most of my summer running gear (shorts and tank) this year. The result is some pretty nasty underarm chafing (ouch!), a sunburn, and GIANT blisters on my arches from sweat-related rubbing. Luckily, I didn’t notice any of this during the race except for the blisters. I could feel them forming by mile 5, and I could practically hear them squelching by mile 10. Ugh. I could barely walk to the car after the race. However, I’ve now pierced and drained them and I’m hopeful to be back on the road tomorrow. If not, I’ll be swimming my training this week.<br /> <br /><b>What went right</b><br /><br />My training plan helped me feel really prepared. There was never a moment where I worried if I would be able to finish or not, andknowing that I could do it really helped me relax and enjoy the race.<br /><br />I decided at the last minute to run without my handheld water bottle. It was a good decision – I’m really glad I didn’t have to deal with carrying anything.<br /><br />Training on hills really paid off! Some of my fastest splits were on the hilly portion of the course.<br /><br />I can honestly say that I really enjoyed this run. It was fun to run with other people, I enjoyed seeing the spectators and I enjoyed being pushed by the challenge of “racing”. I felt happy and good pretty much the whole time!</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8636610838133942829.post-45073168489495665192013-04-08T21:33:00.000-04:002013-04-11T23:13:35.695-04:00Race Recap Part I: St. Louis Half Marathon - The Race<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whew! As I've mentioned before, I'm not a terribly experienced racer. The Go! St. Louis Half Marathon was only the fifth race I've ever run. One whole hand of races! Woot! So here is the breakdown:</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">That's me in the Blue - Photo is courtesy of Chad Fisk</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Garmin Course Length: 13.22 miles</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Time: 2:32:14</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Garmin Time: 2:30:59</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Garmin Splits (Averages):</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mile 1 - 11:13 Mile 8 - 11:19</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mile 2 - 11:10 Mile 9 - 11:51</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mile 3 - 11:15 Mile 10 - 12:30</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mile 4 - 10:53 Mile 11 - 11:12</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mile 5 - 12:13 Mile 12 - 12:54</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mile 6 - 10:56 Mile 13 - 11:17</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mile 7 - 10:27 Mile 13 - 7:56 (SPRINT!)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My goals were as follows:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">FINISH. Just Finish.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not let my mile splits sink below 12:59 (accomplished, barely)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Run Negative Splits (sort of accomplished)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Goal finishing time: 2:30:00 (close enough to feel good about it).</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've read reviews of races in the past and they really helped me prepare. So I'm going to share what I think you should know if you're considering running Go! St. Louis for the first time. Keep in mind, a lot of my experience is on trails instead of roads, so my expectations for amenities are pretty low.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Pushing for the finish</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>The Good</u></span></b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Bathroom Opportunities</b> – Good job! There were long lines at the start, as expected. However, I thought that there were plenty of bathroom opportunities on the course, and I say that as someone who had to make an “emergency stop”. Port-A-Pottys didn’t seem over-loaded at the finish either. I was impressed.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Water Stations</b> – Great! They were well staffed, there was tons of Gatorade AND water at every stop and they were frequently spaced (about every 2 miles). They also had volunteers/tables on both sides of the road at most stops, which really cut down on traffic jams. There was only one “gel” station, which I didn’t utilize. I use shotbloks, and I carried my own. However, the wrappers looked like they were probably IMPOSSIBLE to clean up, so mad props to the volunteers at that station!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Finish Festival</b> – Well thought out! I really appreciated the “family reunion area” separated by letter. It made it possible for me to find the Grige afterwards without having to carry my phone and without knowing the area very well. The food/drink available was great (though I didn’t have much of an appetite) and the band on the stage was pretty good as well. We didn’t stay long because I could barely walk.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Excuse me, Grige... Will you please take my shirt? It's HOT!</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Holy Hill/Race within a race</b> – Miles 7, 8, and 9 take place on a set of rolling hills. There is separate timing for this. I LOVED this portion of the race. The hills were fun (especially going down them), there were lots of people cheering, and the architecture was fun to see (mostly SLU campus). I think they did a good, creative job making a challenging part of the course fun. I didn’t think it would work when I first read about it, but the race planners know their business. It totally kept me from hitting the wall.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Unrelated, but also good – Parking was a breeze!</b> For 5$, we were less than a block from the finish. I was thoroughly impressed. FYI – I know it’s good behavior to take the metro to races when you can, but I couldn’t get that episode of How I Met Your Mother where Barney runs the NY Marathon without training and then gets on the subway and can’t get out of his seat out of my head. That would TOTALLY have been me, complete with old ladies and pregnant women scowling at me. So let’s amend that rule to apply to races under 15K only. Mmmmkay?</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Like this.</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u>The Iffy:</u></b> I don’t want to say bad here, because generally, it was a really well-done race. However, </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">these were the things I didn’t love.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Signage</b> – The signs for each mile were pretty hard to see due to their color. If I hadn’t been running with my Garmin, I would have been confused about where I was in the race. The same was true of the signs for corral line-ups – I had a really hard time figuring out if I was in the right place at the start. Additionally, port-a-potty’s weren’t signed at all, you just had to look for them. This isn’t a huge deal, but it would have been nice to have some clarity on their locations. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Course</b> – The course was really good, IMHO, until mile 10. Then it got legitimately AWFUL. Mile 10 and 11 ran through a really barren, straight, flat strip on Forest Park Parkway. This portion was out and back for the half marathon, so you were RIGHT NEXT to half marathoners who were past the turn around, on the other side of a very narrow boulevard. Since it was boring, all I did those two miles was stare and the returning runners and think “where the HELL is the turnaround, this is miserable”. After you got through that portion, you run down a smelly underpass next to the highway and back up an exit ramp. Not inspiring, no spectators, and generally unprotected from the (hot) sun. Also, no water stations to break up the ugh. Then, the last 3/4 mile before the finish is ALL UP HILL. It’s horrible, because you can SEE the finish, but your sprinting effort is compromised by the incline. Really frustrating and both mentally and physically challenging. Luckily, my running route at home ends with a 1 mile steady incline, so I was well prepared and didn’t mind too much. However, I can imagine this totally killing it for a first-timer who had trained on a treadmill or flat course.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Post Finish Food</b> – While the variety was great and the line for handing stuff out was efficient, they didn’t give you a bag to put everything in! So I’m standing there with my arms all full of pretzels, ice cream sandwiches, bananas, fruit cups, chips – TONS OF FOOD – and I can’t hold on to it, let alone open something to munch on. Annoying, though perhaps it was intentional to limit the amount of food each runner took. If so – well played guys, well played.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uJeB2HIFxjg/UWNrVWqG2TI/AAAAAAAAAF8/KcP0_rmy3n8/s1600/DSC_5844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="263" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uJeB2HIFxjg/UWNrVWqG2TI/AAAAAAAAAF8/KcP0_rmy3n8/s400/DSC_5844.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">And that's where he found me, pretzel in hand.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Overall, I think this is a good race and probably doesn’t deserve its’ somewhat negative online rep. It’s not a “fast” course by any stretch – it’s hilly, but in a rolling, kind of fun way. I had a good time and don’t regret choosing it as a first half marathon at all. In fact, it’s more than likely that I’ll run it next year as well.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8636610838133942829.post-79103434982662727012013-04-06T09:29:00.000-04:002013-04-06T09:29:15.414-04:00On The Shattering of Illusions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">A 1977
Princeton Alumna wrote a letter to the editor of the Princeton Daily about how the young ladies of Princeton should consider marrying young that is apparently twisting up the panties of twenty-something women
everywhere. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadly, the letter was
removed from Princeton’s website (apparently all those brilliant people can’t
handle a little controversy? PUBLIC EDUCATION FTW) before I could read it, but
I’ve read some mentions and some responses that are cropping up all over the
web like daisies. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">I’ve got to
admit – the responses are mostly so angry, petulant and self-absorbed that I
can readily believe the women writing them are not mature enough for marriage –
thus, the letter and its well-intentioned advice is probably not meant for
them. What is frustrating, is that smart, young women are still so wrapped up
in this myth of “having it all” that they don’t seem to realize that we’re
still going to have to make sacrifices. The writer, Susan Patton, is using the
benefit of her experience to remind them that the choices that shape our lives
often take place long before we can understand their consequences. And instead
of being thankful that someone is FINALLY telling driven, smart young women the
truth about the choices we will have to make, we are FREAKING OUT and accusing
her of pushing some mystical marriage agenda on us. As if that would somehow
benefit her. As if. Ugh.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xan_4u0ez1A/UWAieeNwSjI/AAAAAAAAApw/l-bsNGKKR7s/s1600/Our+Wedding+-293.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xan_4u0ez1A/UWAieeNwSjI/AAAAAAAAApw/l-bsNGKKR7s/s400/Our+Wedding+-293.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: <a href="http://www.summerjeanphotography.com/">Summer Jean Photography</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">Here is the
thing: the wage gap exists. Our biological clocks exist. Sexism exists. There
are a billion good statistics out there about how women work harder than men
both in the office and at home and still get paid less that I will let <a href="http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2013/04/04/march-madness-sheds-light-on-the-real-workplace-revolution/">PenelopeTrunk</a> tell you about because she is better at it than me. And it’s true – as time
goes on, the pool of suitable men dwindles, because their priorities are
different. Haven’t any of these girls seen Sex and the City? Am I just OLD and
out of touch now? I can’t believe that the party line for these young women is
to ignore all those inconvenient truths and get angry at anyone who reminds us
of them. It’s like yelling at your doctor for telling you that exercising will
improve your health.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">And then
there is this snarky zinger of an argument: "Girls who are still in school
don't want to be defined by the person that they might end up marrying," made
by Nina Bahadur in <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nina-bahadur/susan-patton-daily-princetonian-find-a-husband-princeton_b_2979789.html">an article over at HuffPo</a>,
where she is an assistant editor. In addition to blind anger, her comments made
me think of <a href="http://apracticalwedding.com/2013/04/good-things-about-marriage/">an open thread </a>full of smart, married/engaged ladies over at <a href="http://www.apracticalwedding.com/">A Practical Wedding</a> earlier this week. The thread is titled “The Surprise Good”
and the resonating theme is that marriage gives many of these women (myself
heartily included) the support, confidence and empowerment to reach higher,
accomplish more, take more risks and push themselves harder. The Grige doesn’t
define me, he pushes me to be my <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">best me.
</i>And that open thread suggests that a lot of other good marriages do that
too. In my world, having a good career is directly intertwined with the support
I get from my husband, even if I do his laundry and clean the bathroom.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q-hXGJ5sQtA/UWAhBC2a_WI/AAAAAAAAApY/4VpPVHH4rm8/s1600/DSC00751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q-hXGJ5sQtA/UWAhBC2a_WI/AAAAAAAAApY/4VpPVHH4rm8/s400/DSC00751.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In my life, stuff like this doesn't happen without the Grige. Because TEAMWORK, you guys. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">I don’t
think Patton is suggesting that ALL women should get married in college, or that we should marry the first guy we drunkenly make out with as freshman. I
think she is suggesting that if marriage is something you think you want
someday, it would be dumb to miss the opportunity to meet, seriously date, and
perhaps even marry one of the plethora of like-minded, smart people that are
available to you in college, because it just gets harder after that. I should
know, I gave out my real, actual phone number on a rush hour train full of
skeezy dudes to score a first date with the Grige. If that’s not desperation, I
don’t know what is.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">Patton is
suggesting that we not all bury our heads in the sand and pretend that the
perfect person will just show up on a white horse when we’re in our early
thirties and totally ready for marriage. Many of us (myself included) will meet the right guy at the wrong time, and part of growing a relationship is figuring out how to deal with that. It’s MATH, ladies. There are outliers –
you might even be one of them, so do what you think is right for you. But it’s
pointless to ignore the trends. Maybe you won’t meet the right person until you
are 50, and that’s fine. Obviously you, personally, should not get married in
college. But pretending that’s going to work for everyone? It’s like saying
that climate change is a myth because it snowed in April this year. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">So here I
am, shaking my head slowly in disbelief. We plan the ever loving SHIT out of
our career paths in college. We learn, and we experiment, and we scheme and
dream. We have internships, we solicit letters of recommendation and then we go
out into the work world and implement those ideas, sometimes before we quite
feel ready. But we grow and change in our career paths and continue to learn
and improve. And then someone suggests that we might give the same
consideration to our personal lives, you know, what we do with the OTHER 16
hours a day, and we all go ballistic and accuse them of trying to stifle our
success.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SGV7K987dzE/UWAhfd5rb_I/AAAAAAAAApg/xqbH8nicFJg/s1600/DSC01326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SGV7K987dzE/UWAhfd5rb_I/AAAAAAAAApg/xqbH8nicFJg/s320/DSC01326.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beer brewing, and other home adventures.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">No one wants
to hear about the hard choices that we will all have to make. Choices between
romance and career goals, between tacos or pasta, between east coast or west
coast, between taking that promotion or spending more time at home with kids.
But that doesn’t make them go away. At 22, I tore up about 5,000 pro/con lists
between the Grige and the Peace Corps, and I finally chose the guy I had been
dating for less than 6 months The last thing that I needed after that
heart-wrenching decision was a bunch of self-righteous bitches telling me that
I was an idiot to even consider compromising my career for a relationship. Well,
life keeps right on happening whether you feel like making tough decisions or not.
So let’s try to take Patton’s advice for what it is: advice. You can take it or
leave it, but you are out of your damn mind if you think college isn’t statistically one of
the best social opportunities you’ll have to meet someone to marry.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
Double Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11383069026743835206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8636610838133942829.post-3365107573078256232013-04-02T23:01:00.001-04:002013-04-02T23:02:15.847-04:00And Now, For Something Completely Embarrassing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm going to share something with you that is really embarrassing. Something that the Grige doesn't even know (I mean, I think he suspects, but he respects me enough not to ask too many questions...). But first - a short product review. It's related, I swear.<br />
<br />
A while ago, I wrote a little gear roundup. I shared that I use an iPod shuffle for running. With 1.88 GB of storage and no real selection functionality besides forward, back, on, off, and volume, it's about as basic as they come. Mine, however, is more basic yet. A few weeks after I bought it, I discovered that NOTHING worked on it, except the on and off buttons. I thought about returning it or getting a new one, but since it still played music, I decided to stick with it. Someday, I'd like to upgrade to the waterproof version, so that I can swim laps with it. But for now, I kind of like my broken little guy.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lfducTdQ3Fo/UVua0tBiH7I/AAAAAAAAApI/K9uiVr8fGZI/s1600/2013-03-18+22.17.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lfducTdQ3Fo/UVua0tBiH7I/AAAAAAAAApI/K9uiVr8fGZI/s400/2013-03-18+22.17.19.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The product review portion of this post is meant to show that you get what you pay for. The iPod shuffle is cheap, and probably not built for the amount of sweat, rain, heat, and cold that I expose it to regularly. However, it's a load off my mind to know that it's only $40 to replace if I break it.<br />
<br />
Now, for the embarrassing stuff. Since I can't skip songs, every song I put on my little iPod shuffle REALLY needs to work for me during a run. That's right, I'm going to share my running playlist.<br />
<br />
I want to stress that this is mostly a tempo thing, and shouldn't be seen as a comment on my overall musical taste. If you're looking for tunes to keep you moving at about 10 min. mile pace, grew up in the 90's and have really wacked out taste, these jams are for you. You're welcome.<br />
<br />
<u><b>The Good</b></u><br />
<br />
Girl - Beck<br />
Danger: High Voltage - Electric Six<br />
1901 - Phoenix<br />
<br />
Rehab - Amy Winehouse<br />
Down to The River - The Duhks (that's right, bluegrass)<br />
<br />
Rich Girls - The Virgins<br />
Here It Goes Again - OK Go<br />
<br />
I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) - The Proclaimers<br />
Morning Sun - Shayna Zaid<br />
Locked Out Of Heaven - Bruno Mars<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/dTAAsCNK7RA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<br />
<br />
<b><u>The Ridiculous</u></b><br />
<br />
Cowboy - Kid Rock<br />
California - 2 Pac<br />
Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy - Big and Rich<br />
Little Bad Girl - David Guetta<br />
Sugar - Trick Daddy<br />
867-5309/Jenny - Tommy Tutone (yep. TOMMY TUTONE)<br />
A Change Would Do You Good - Sheryl Crow<br />
Where the Party At? - Nelly<br />
Get Low - Flo Rida and T-Pain<br />
<br />
Country Grammar - Nelly<br />
Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5<br />
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<br />
A few thoughts on this list:<br />
<br />
1. There's some good stuff on here, and believe me, it's really hard to find "good" music that is at proper running tempo. I can tell almost immediately if a song is not going to work, or if it is. Like, let's say it's 2011 and I'm watching a Ford Focus commercial. Somehow, I know I can run to that stupidly catchy song, and it ends up on the rotation.<br />
<br />
2. If it's not good, chances are it's RIDICULOUS. I don't even know how I own some of this stuff, but I suspect a lot of it is left over from sorority bid day mixes from college. Most of this music, if I heard at a bar, I would turn around and walk right out again. Funny how that works, huh?<br />
<br />
3. This is obviously not two hours of music. For long runs, I rotate on the B sides - songs that are fast paced, but not my ideal running speed/flavor. I won't list them here, but it's a lot of The Black Keys, some Rage Against The Machine (a good pick for speed work), and plenty more trashy 90s club music.<br />
<br />
4. The only artist who makes it onto the permanent list more than once is Nelly. I don't like to spend too much time thinking about what that "says" about me, but I suspect it's one of two things: A) All of Nelly's songs sound EXACTLY THE SAME and happen to have a good beat for my running pace or B) I really am a St. Louis girl at heart.<br />
<br />
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Double Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11383069026743835206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8636610838133942829.post-31542982422594254102013-03-31T19:59:00.001-04:002013-03-31T20:11:02.891-04:00Spring Has Sprung (Finally)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Since exactly one week ago, a foot of snow buried my hopes for spring so deeply I thought that it would never come, I want to take a moment and celebrate that it's FINALLY spring here.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6ecfSYAzO_Q/UVjP8CZnbDI/AAAAAAAAAo4/ctbBpwJ8DXw/s1600/imgres-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6ecfSYAzO_Q/UVjP8CZnbDI/AAAAAAAAAo4/ctbBpwJ8DXw/s400/imgres-2.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, I like Thug Kitchen A LOT.<br />thugkitchen.com </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The sun is out, it's 60+ degrees out, and my 11 mile run in the icy rain yesterday afternoon is out of my head. I officially switched out my closet to spring/summer today, so hopefully we don't have any more relapses! Spring colors are poppin' like it's hot in my closet.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YJl0uM5W9_Q/UVjIZoBI5aI/AAAAAAAAAoI/VILS767JPyE/s1600/DSC_5449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YJl0uM5W9_Q/UVjIZoBI5aI/AAAAAAAAAoI/VILS767JPyE/s400/DSC_5449.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Grige and I took a little trip to the zoo. It was sunny, but the animals were mostly napping. I think I'm about ready for a nap too!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p02Zyh57mX0/UVjJcGAWpDI/AAAAAAAAAok/GgXfZiRFG-w/s1600/DSC_5439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p02Zyh57mX0/UVjJcGAWpDI/AAAAAAAAAok/GgXfZiRFG-w/s400/DSC_5439.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yoga Birds</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xi8V6edGqrQ/UVjJeP6uo4I/AAAAAAAAAow/1WKITIForyY/s1600/DSC_5360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xi8V6edGqrQ/UVjJeP6uo4I/AAAAAAAAAow/1WKITIForyY/s400/DSC_5360.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This guy is also anxious to lose his winter wardrobe.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rDweDIYOSAc/UVjJZsM3iXI/AAAAAAAAAoc/IiivskQCNPo/s1600/DSC_5356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rDweDIYOSAc/UVjJZsM3iXI/AAAAAAAAAoc/IiivskQCNPo/s400/DSC_5356.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So dignified, so ready for a nap</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gqjoHUBbSiU/UVjJb3ea6MI/AAAAAAAAAoo/IEiMuGVx-Qg/s1600/DSC_5423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gqjoHUBbSiU/UVjJb3ea6MI/AAAAAAAAAoo/IEiMuGVx-Qg/s400/DSC_5423.JPG" width="263" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice Hair, bro.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Stay tuned for more spring. I know I will. Which brings me to.... we are officially 7 days away from my half marathon. I'm pretty nervous, and I feel like there just isn't much info out there about the race to help me prepare. I've studied the course map and picked my outfit, but I can't find reliable information on parking near the race course, metro hours, or spectator information. Alas, I guess it will have to wait for the expo on Friday.<br />
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As far as other race-prep, I'll be getting up early every morning for a short, easy run every day this week. I'll be following up with yoga after work. I'll start carb loading on Thursday and won't be drinking any alcohol or consuming any other "empty" calories until after the race. I've been using my foam roller twice to three times a day and will continue doing so in addition to icing my quads. I'm looking forward to putting the half behind me and focusing on the full marathon.</div>
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Double Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11383069026743835206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8636610838133942829.post-65588203567548766402013-03-26T12:45:00.002-04:002013-03-31T19:59:30.628-04:005 Reasons to NOT Run a 5K<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This should
actually be titled “5 (Completely Subjective) Reasons to NOT Run a 5K (As Your
First Race)”, but that’s too long. So let’s just assume that everyone will read
past the catchy title before getting all bent out of shape at me. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
popularity of the 5K race is nothing short of a revolution. I’m not here to
argue that this isn’t a good thing. The Couch to 5K program is a fantastic
approach to introduce non-athletes to running and to encourage healthy
lifestyle changes. I highly recommend it. However, I think that getting too
wrapped up in the 5K distance during my formative running years (aka: high
school, college and immediate post-grad) was a really negative thing. I wish I
had been much younger than 22 when a marathoner finally told me: “I used to
hate running too. It turns out that anything under 5 miles just really sucks”. Of course, I didn’t believe her. If I was
struggling to run 3 miles, how could I run 5 or 10 or (gasp) 26.2? Impossible
math. If I had been 16 when I first heard that advice, I would have been 19 by
the time I realized it was true. So if you are really struggling as you try to
train for a 5K, just remember: It’s not you, it’s probably the wrong distance.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are my
top 5 reasons to NOT run a 5K:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. <strong> 5K’s are super popular. Maybe too
popular.</strong> I literally
can’t open the internet without hearing about a new “cool” 5K in my area.
Headlines like “dogs and strollers welcome!”, “We will throw colored corn
starch at you!” or “fire pit full of snakes!” are just a few of the “fun”
things you can experience. I do not think this is a good way to do a first
race. It’s great that 5Ks are easy to find without traveling, but it’s much
better to do a race where people are taking it seriously and there aren’t
obstacles intended to make it harder than it already is to stay on your feet
and moving forward. You will rarely see an advertisement like this for a longer
distance, but 10Ks are nearly as easy to find as 5Ks.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. <strong>Shorter means faster</strong>. One of the cardinal rules of injury avoidance is that you can either
increase distance or speed, never both. When
you are training for your first race, building the distance safely is pretty
much the only thing that matters. This means people are going to BLOW by you on
race day at a 5K, which can be a little demoralizing. Those of us who didn’t
have nick-names like “crazy legs” in high school will probably want to focus on
distance for quite a while (years, even) before we start thinking about speed. If
you chose a 10K instead of a 5K, you will train for longer (thus increasing
your confidence) and there are likely to be many more people in your (slower)
pace range. When I ran my first 10K, I was terrified of the distance. By the
time I finished, I realized that my 10K splits were faster than my P.R. 5K
splits. In fact, I essentially ran back to back 5K personal records in the form
of one race. I’m finding the same thing with marathon training. My pace for all
distances is pretty steady; it’s just a matter of building up the mileage. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. <strong> Runner’s High</strong>. The actual science on Runner’s High is pretty
sketchy, but the general idea is that your pituitary gland will release
endorphins (which essentially make you “happy”) once you cross an
effort-related threshold. Wikipedia (</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endorphin"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endorphin</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">)
summarizes that threshold as being related to “long, continuous workouts, when
the level of intensity is between moderate and high, and breathing is difficult.
This also corresponds with the time that muscles use up their stored glycogen”. Workouts of over 90 minutes are a rough rule
for when you fully deplete your glycogen stores, so it follows that it would be
unlikely that one would experience “runner’s high” in a running workout of less
than that. It’s been suggested (like in Born to Run) that there is an evolutionary
connection between persistence hunting (when a human tracks an animal to
exhaustion) and runner’s high. I’m no scientist, but I have never, ever
experienced runner’s high before mile 4 and rarely before mile 6. I regularly
experience it around miles 8, 9 or 10, which is extremely consistent with the
90 minute mark in my workouts. I feel pretty confident saying that it’s not
likely a new runner will experience a “high” while training for a 5K. And let
me tell you, that “high” is totally worth the effort. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4.
<strong>The “Other” Runner’s High:
Accomplishment</strong>. I
suspect that you are not training for a long distance race because it’s
something that anyone can do. If you want to feel like you’re doing something
special (which can be highly motivational, by the way), a longer distance is
the way to do it. I know lots of accomplished runners who constantly give me
accolades for running such “long” distances. I know I’m not doing anything that
many of them couldn’t do better if they tried, but that’s just it – they’re not
doing it. I am. Sure, it’s hard, and
I’m definitely still slow, but I go out there every day and put the miles down and
it makes me feel really good about myself. Way better than the comparative “instant
gratification” of running a 5K. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5.
<strong>The Lifestyle</strong>. 5K training did not make me feel
like a runner. It’s not long enough or involved enough to elicit the kind of
changes that I wanted running to make in my life. I spent a lot of years
feeling frustrated that my over-all fitness wasn’t really improving, I wasn’t
losing weight, I couldn’t really eat what I wanted, and never really looked forward
to running. I truly believe it’s because the commitment needed for 5K training
wasn’t enough to push me over the threshold to really enjoying running as part
of my life. The longer distances are habit forming – I get so excited for my
weekend long runs, I kind of can’t imagine my life without them! I never would
have experienced that if I hadn’t pushed to longer distances. The best part is,
you can still run a 5K, but when you make it part of the journey, instead of a
stand-alone goal, it becomes a lot more fun. You can still run with friends,
who are doing shorter distances, you’ll just do another loop when they are
finished. And then you can go home and eat a giant bowl of pasta and look
forward to your next race. <o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In summary,
5K’s never worked for me. I’ll never forget screaming at the Grige while he
tried to pace me through the last 1000 yards of a 5k turkey trot after training
my butt off and still being unable to break 30 minutes. I really wish I had
wasted less of my life being angry about 3.1 stupid miles. My tipping point was
a little north of that mark, and I’m really glad that I pushed my way there. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So if your
5K is making you angry, do me a favor and sign up for a 10K or a half marathon,
stop feeling guilty about taking a walking break and get ready to be surprised.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
</div>
Double Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11383069026743835206noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8636610838133942829.post-38849652520374936942013-03-24T15:27:00.000-04:002013-03-24T15:28:09.718-04:00Exhausted<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>Disclaimer: </i>I really want this post to be about my 12 mile long run yesterday. But I already know I'm going to get distracted. I want you to know that I have tried to calm down. I've tried wine, I've tried pranayama breathing, I tried talking to the Grige and my Mom, and I've reached the conclusion that if I am <i>still </i>this angry after 12 miles, or 2 hours and 17 minutes, of pounding pavement, I'm probably not going to relax for a while.<br />
<br />
So let's start with the run, and see where we go. I wanted to start early, but let's be honest: I love staying in bed with the Grige for as long as he will let me. I'm building a whole life around that fact, because I am actually a morning person, but it's the only time I get to see him, so I take full advantage. So I dropped him off at studio around 8, and ran to the grocery store, and ate some peanut butter toast and a banana. I actually made it out the door by 10 a.m., which is quite a bit earlier than normal!<br />
<br />
I really just want to let that paragraph be, but did you know that I am a horrible feminist because I let my husband's schedule dictate my plans? Do you know that <i>that's what I was thinking about</i> while we snuggled? That I am letting my gender down because I want to appreciate my husband. Yes, I let that stupid article in <i>New York Magazine</i>, which I will not link to on principle, get in my head BIG TIME.<br />
<br />
I was actually excited to read it. I think it's so cool that we're approaching a time where women can chose to work, or stay home, or really do whatever they want without judgement. I was psyched to read about feminist housewives, who are devoting their educations and energy to raising responsible, kind, intelligent little humans and to providing care and assistance to those they love. Well, SURPRISE! Instead, I got to read a bunch of barely veiled snide commentary peppered with out of context quotes designed to make these women sound like simpering idiots and make me feel bad about pretty much every single choice I've ever made and will ever make.<br />
<br />
And as my anger simmers, I realize that what is so wrong about this article is that it not only pits women against each other, but it pits women against their husbands, and it really makes you wonder what the hell kind of woman could actually <i>win </i>in the world the author paints. It made me feel like the fact that I cooked dinner for my husband last week is not because I love him and want to support him, or even because I like to cook, but actually because I'm participating in some patriarchal scheme that my husband and all the men everywhere have concocted. He wasn't working late, he was actually smoking cigars with all the other bros and laughing about it while I slaved over a hot stove.<br />
<br />
You see, my marriage is not a microcosm for all gender roles everywhere. It's actually just a couple of fools trying to muddle through building a meaningful and enjoyable life together. As a team. And if I decided to stay home, or take a job as a CEO at a start up, it would be a team decision, and there would be pros and cons just like every other decision in life. Maybe it would work and maybe it wouldn't, our job is just to find what works for us, which is pretty damn feminist, if you ask me. I suspect we're not alone in this, and I'm tired of making a decision to do what's right for someone other than myself getting read as being a bad feminist. If I start believing that my husband is not on my team, and I'm out here alone fighting for an abstract construct or whatever just out of spite, that's a really sad life!<br />
<br />
12 miles is a long time to think about something and not get any more clarity. Which is how I know that this is a big problem. And then last night, after inhaling a bunch of Persian food, our waiter overhead me bitching (and not for the last time) about what a horrible year for women 2013 is turning out to be. I was specifically complaining about the fact that a hotelier in Greece will only communicate with the Grige instead of me, even though we are paying him with MY CREDIT CARD. My tone was somewhere in between exhausted and "what the f*cking f*ck?!?!". And then, at the end of the meal, for the first time in my entire life (<a href="http://www.breakingdownthebank.blogspot.com/2011/07/how-heck-are-we-supposed-to-find.html">throughout most of which I have been either picking up or splitting bills)</a>, the waiter handed ME the check. So maybe there's hope. There was definitely a big-ass tip for him.<br />
<br />
I think that feminism for me is a little bit like long distance running. It's a mental game, all about choice - how you let people make you feel, which way you turn, whether or not you can keep going. It always makes you hungry and tired, and sometimes, it gives you diarrhea. It's your race, but it's a lot more fun when you do it as part of a team. To win at running, it's pretty much useless to tear other people down. It's not a contact sport. And to be honest, the real win is just finishing for most of us. Maybe I'm reaching for that, but I think it rings true. I should know, I thought about it for 12 miles, or 2 hours and 17 minutes, yesterday.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Double Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11383069026743835206noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8636610838133942829.post-31639522387472475792013-03-19T00:43:00.001-04:002013-03-19T00:44:01.986-04:00Gear<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One of the reasons I started running was because I was broke as a joke and wanted an athletic endeavor that theoretically wouldn't cost me more than the price of shoes, which I would probably own anyway.<br />
<br />
I don't want to imply that this isn't true. It is 100% possible to run with nothing but shoes and whatever athletic clothes you happen to have. But this is America, so you can bet that there is a giant industry built up around selling you stuff for something that you can do for free.<br />
<br />
However, stuff is fun sometimes. So I thought I would tell you a little bit about mine.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9aqVKAgaKsA/UUfiluPCbyI/AAAAAAAAAFk/bPZzpqa7yp0/s1600/2013-03-18+22.17.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9aqVKAgaKsA/UUfiluPCbyI/AAAAAAAAAFk/bPZzpqa7yp0/s400/2013-03-18+22.17.19.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div>
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I try to keep it minimal, but as mileage increases, there's more I just "need" to have with me. I still use my Nathan handheld water bottle when it's warm out, but there are a number of water fountains on my current route, so I have taken it out of regular rotation. </div>
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So, here's the run-down, from left to right:</div>
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1. Petzel headlamp. I don't usually use it for it's headlamp function, since my route is pretty well-lit, but I often turn it backwards for the strobe function. It can't hurt, for the one street I have to cross, and the occasional rogue cyclist. </div>
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2. iPod shuffle and earbuds. I love the shuffle for running. It definitely holds enough music for even my longest runs right now, it's light, it's no big deal if it gets wet or sweaty since they retail for around $40, and it clips to pretty much anything. </div>
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3. Shot Bloks. Delightful little chew candies that I nosh on every 2 miles on long runs. I love them, and the Grige steals from my supplies as snacks. </div>
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4. Garmin Forerunner 10! This! This was a surprise from the Grige earlier this week. It's a "lower end" GPS watch (which means it's 100% solid awesome, but does not have a heart rate monitor). I've only had it out on 3 runs so far, but it's performed as expected so far and really helped me work for those negative splits. I'll review in more depth later.</div>
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5. Spi-belt. This guy is not really all I'd hoped for. I have wide hips and a narrow waist, and I like to run in athletic tights. This does not stay put at ALL and I have to constantly adjust. However, It's really convenient to stash keys, snacks and phone for longer runs, so I use it anyway. I'm hopeful that when the weather warms up, it will work better with shorts. Until then, I'm playing around with wrapping it around my arm, or buckling it over a t-shirt. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zBVTfD5feYI/UUfilCdlyOI/AAAAAAAAAFc/jUp9ouRNg0o/s1600/2013-03-18+22.10.54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zBVTfD5feYI/UUfilCdlyOI/AAAAAAAAAFc/jUp9ouRNg0o/s400/2013-03-18+22.10.54.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">oh, pasty legs. March is just the BEST.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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6. Last, but not least, my foam roller. I picked this up when I started experiencing quad pain, and let me tell you, it's like being handed new legs after a long run. To use it, you traction your weight onto the roller and then roll over your muscle. It works for calves, quads, hamstrings and IT band. I am in LOVE. However, you have to deal with the fact that it costs like $30, which seems like a CRAZY amount for a piece of foamy plastic. However, the Grige informs me that it does actually involve some "technology" and is probably justified in the pricing. I'll take it, but only because my legs feel so much better. </div>
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So that's the roundup, and these are just the gadgets. I'll be back with more essentials one of these days. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8636610838133942829.post-5650967831312258292013-03-18T23:27:00.000-04:002013-04-08T22:24:54.564-04:00Hunger Like a Runner<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;">I never believed all of the people who used to say that they could eat whatever they wanted because of their running schedule. In fact, as a slightly sub-athletic person, I don’t think I have ever in my life experienced a legit increase in biological eating cues as a result of exercise. I have an unbelievably emotional relationship with food, and as a result, I am in the habit of pretty much always restricting my impulses to eat. My natural assumption is that I’m not actually hungry and start looking for the “real” problem – stress, anxiety, sadness, or PMS – before grabbing a fork.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br /></span>
</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then, three weeks ago, my relationship with food turned upside down. To understand how crazy this experience was for me, you have to first understand that I <i>hate </i>pasta. I never ate mac & cheese as a kid, I abhor spaghetti (I take my meatballs and red sauce with toast), I’ve spent extended time in Italy and never once ordered a pasta dish. And then I woke up one morning three weeks ago literally salivating at the thought of penne topped with spicy sausage ragu. I swear to you, I was 100% convinced I was pregnant, until three days later it became apparent that wasn’t the case. But I was still craving pasta, and had started waking up around 5 am with my stomach rumbling and visions of French toast with a side of eggs benedict dancing in my head.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Oo5YwC1UH6Y/UUfa0DqiKPI/AAAAAAAAAFU/tWVNV50Kimo/s1600/imgres-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Oo5YwC1UH6Y/UUfa0DqiKPI/AAAAAAAAAFU/tWVNV50Kimo/s1600/imgres-1.jpeg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From the January issue of Bon Apetit. Get thee to a kitchen and make this IMMEDIATELY</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br /></span>
</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I made the mistake of assuming that my caloric needs wouldn’t change with training because I had always done 3 mile runs a few times a week. If there was a change, I assumed I would respond to it naturally by incorporating slightly larger servings or by having a snack. As it turns out, running 10-12 miles a week is WAAAAAAAY different than running 20-30 miles a week. Shouldn’t have been a shocker, but it totally was for me. The cravings started when I crossed the 20 miles/week threshold, and no mere “snack” is going to solve the problem. My body is begging me for carbs, and I have to find a way to put aside 20 years of firm resolve against that urge. It’s way harder than I ever imagined.</span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br /></span>
</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you are an emotional eater, re-wiring yourself to respond to your body’s biological cues without feeling guilty all the time is a heavy process. Luckily, the Grige has lots of experience with treating food as fuel, and stands ready to make reservations at Italian restaurants and tell me how good I look when I’m shoveling noodles into my mouth like I may never eat again. What I really notice now is how much media noise there is out there about “healthy choices”, carbs and what women “should” eat (hello, subversively guilt inducing Yoplait commercials!). Did you know that according to available messaging, it is NEVER okay to eat pizza and pie, and that I should feel guilty every single time? Did you know there is a war on bagels???</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clearly, our country has a problem with weight, and much of that could be attributed to the overabundance of convenient, high calorie, low quality foods. But are we going too far in the other direction? Is there any sane reason why a young woman in her ideal BMI range running 20-30 miles a week should feel guilty about eating a giant, juicy burger <i>with the bun still on it</i>? Why do I feel the need to compulsively explain to the waiter that I’m training for a half marathon?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So here is the challenge – I’m going to eat like a runner (because I am one) and I’m not going to apologize for it. I’m going to proudly stuff my face with gnocchi, I’m going to have seconds, and yes, I will have another roll with that, thank you very much. Hopefully, I’ll find my way to a cultural space where other women wake up every morning as excited about breakfast as I do.</span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8636610838133942829.post-18288649828859184132013-03-17T21:10:00.002-04:002013-03-17T21:11:00.347-04:00Life List Fail, and Accompanying Silver Lining<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's time to cross another item off the <a href="http://breakingdownthebank.blogspot.com/p/double-es-life-list.html">life list,</a> but not in the usual way. This time, it will be because I will never be able to accomplish it.<br />
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I got my current (and first!) passport when I was 16. I got it for a trip to Italy with my AP European History class, where I became so enamored with traveling that I have made it out of the country at least once a year every year since then, with the exception of 2012 (we got married, I figured that's enough to let myself off the hook for a year).<br />
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2004 - Germany and Italy<br />
2005 - Virgin Island<br />
2006 - Italy (again)<br />
2007 - Mexico<br />
2008 - Canada<br />
2009 - Costa Rica<br />
2010 - Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia<br />
2011 - Spain and Morocco<br />
2012 -<br />
2013 - Wait for it.....<br />
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So my passport and I, with the photograph of my broody 16-year-old self, have seen a lot of places. In fact, we've been to every continent, with the exception of South America. And so I made the not-overly-ambitious-at-the-time <a href="http://breakingdownthebank.blogspot.com/p/double-es-life-list.html">life list item </a>to get every continent in that passport.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Costa Rican beaches</td></tr>
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And then I got married. And changed my name. Emily Fisk has never traveled anywhere, and after much thought and deliberation, she's not going to start this year.<br />
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Now, those of you deeply familiar with foreign travel and able to count are probably already aware that my dear passport is about to expire anyway. So when Chad and I decided to take a honeymoon this year, I decided that it would be Emily Fraker's last ride, and I'd say farewell to my passport in style.<br />
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The only thing left to do was convince the Grige that we should go to South America and my goal would be complete! Success! Except no - because an arbitrary goal is not really a good basis for planning your honeymoon. Pesky things like flight costs, where your husband actually wants to go, safety and timing actually play in quite a bit.<br />
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So, we are not going to South America, ergo, I will not be able to check this item off my list. However, we ARE going to GREECE! For which I am so unbelievably excited I can hardly stand it. Neither of us have ever been there, and there will be lots of history for me, architecture for the Grige, beaches and adventure aplenty for both of us! In the grand scheme, I'm still getting out of the country and can hardly complain. Silver linings FTW!<br />
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For the record, I can't recommend planning a honeymoon after the wedding is over highly enough. It has been so very fun to spend tons of time and energy researching the trip, which is something we never would have been able to do while planning the wedding at the same time. We will also have lots of energy and mental space to enjoy the trip. If we had gone right after the wedding, we would have been so busy processing the enormity of that day it would have been hard to take in a new country. To be clear, you should definitely take some quiet time alone after your wedding, but save the big crazy trip for after you've had some time to process.<br />
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Double Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11383069026743835206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8636610838133942829.post-58275795943322490072013-02-05T23:43:00.001-05:002013-02-05T23:43:59.974-05:00So... This Happened....IN A PLACE WHERE I <i>LIVE.</i><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/matthewe9/quite-possibly-the-greatest-disney-wedding-ever-85fv">The BEST Disney Wedding EvAR!</a></i><br />
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You GUYS. Her dad wore a King Triton <i>crown </i>and carried a <i>trident. </i><br />
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But wait, there's MORE! Here is the photographer's website:<br />
<a href="http://shariphotography.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-greatest-disney-wedding-ever.html">http://shariphotography.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-greatest-disney-wedding-ever.html</a><br />
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I'm not going to re-post the photos, because I know how important blog traffic can be to photographers. Also, I don't have time because I have to go find these people so that we can be friends.<br />
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But seriously, go LOOK at these photos.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8636610838133942829.post-86729899765842557202013-01-27T22:07:00.002-05:002013-01-27T22:07:32.463-05:00DifferentI've spend a lot of time in the last few months thinking about what is different, since we got married. I haven't been able to put my finger on what, but something is, for sure. And then I realized! there isn't just one thing, there are a lot of them.<br />
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One of the biggest/hardest is to figure out who we are in public. I know marriage is supposed to be this big proclamation where we declare ourselves "one" in front of God, our families and our friends. But navigating that disposition in the real world is not quite as easy as you might imagine.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: <a href="http://www.summerjeanphotography.com/">Summer Jean Photography</a></td></tr>
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For one, being introduced as someone's wife adds about 10 years to you. When your brand-spanking-new husband introduces you to a bunch of 23 year-olds who have never known life outside of school, you can feel kind of like you belong in a museum with other relics of the 1950's. And then, you have to figure out when it's appropriate to attend school and work events with each other.<br />
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For instance, the Grige is in grad school, for which there are a myriad of events. We hosted his studio section + professors for a dinner last semester. Naturally, I attended that. It was in my home. I cleaned for it. But it was awkward. I felt extremely out of place. I got the same impression when I brought him to a happy hour with co-workers at my new job. It's not that people were rude or mean, it's just that it felt <i>wrong....</i><br />
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So how do we navigate this? How do we figure out how to be a married couple, at this age, in a new city? We got into this new life together, and we've been leaning on each other to make friends. This problem is 100% unanticipated.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hgUIbxhUcko/UQXq_yB8hpI/AAAAAAAAAgI/NXiqrdIVVqA/s1600/Our+Wedding+-276.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hgUIbxhUcko/UQXq_yB8hpI/AAAAAAAAAgI/NXiqrdIVVqA/s400/Our+Wedding+-276.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: <a href="http://www.summerjeanphotography.com/">Summer Jean Photography</a></td></tr>
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I'm sure that, as we get older, more and more of our peers will get married and this will get easier. I mean, my parents do things apart from one another all the time: my Dad is in the banjo club, my Mom has a ladies bridge group. But everyone kind of expects them to be together the rest of the time. Just like the Grige and I like to be. I'm fine doing things apart from the Grige. However, we need some sort of social protocol for the meantime. So really? How do you figure out how to be "one" when you are actually two? Where do we fit in each other's lives?<br />
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It's not an easy riddle to solve, but it is definitely a key component of all the differences that we're facing post-nuptials.Double Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11383069026743835206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8636610838133942829.post-15702044001051527472013-01-24T19:36:00.003-05:002013-01-24T19:37:04.532-05:00What has two thumbs....and just ran a training 5k in 26:02?<br />
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This Guy.<br />
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Cold + Dark = pure awesome.<br />
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That is all.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8636610838133942829.post-26765177425546501402013-01-21T18:37:00.001-05:002013-01-21T18:38:23.760-05:00They have my money now....So there's no backing out. I registered for the Go! St. Louis half marathon last night. If it goes well, I may aim to keep on for a full marathon this summer (I'm thinking Charlevoix, MI on June 22... but that's very hypothetical). I think my big mistakes my last time (besides being too overwhelmed with moving/wedding to stick to training), were that I:<div>
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1. Bit off more than I could chew. I came off an excellent 10K and went straight on to slay a dragon. I think I wanted something to take my mind off wedding planning and moving, and I grasped at a barely attainable goal.</div>
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2. Did not schedule any training races. I made it up to my 12 mile long run, and I should have thrown in a half marathon after that so that I had something to look forward too.</div>
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So this time, I'm going for the half marathon first, and will sign up for the marathon as training progresses and I get a better sense of my summer calendar. But FIRST:</div>
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New shoes.</div>
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This color is a testament to the fact that I will endure anything for 20% off. They are an extremely comfortable pair of Brooks Pure runners, and I absolutely HATE this color. I asked if they came in a less offensive shade, and the very kind sales guy explained that he could sell me these for 20% off since the new colors were all next years models. Obviously, I bought them.</div>
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And now, I will politely try to plug our new local running store, the Missouri Running Company. I've always been committed to buying from a local running store. However, I really wavered this time. Amazon Prime is so convenient, and being in a new city is so hard (at least for me). I've had a good (but not great) relationship with the Adams Morgan Fleet Feet in DC. They always try to put me in some super-stabilizer geriatric shoes that are so heavy they clunk against my ankles when I run. Not so at MRC - the sales man reviewed my stride, complimented me, and recommended a few shoes to try. As I tried them out, he continued to review my stride and gave me tips for making small tweaks to improve. It was a truly fantastic and positive experience and I'm so very glad that I pushed out of my comfort zone and gave this place a try. They definitely have a customer in me for as long as we're in STL. </div>
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So I'm off and running - they were great on my 3.5 mile tempo run this afternoon, even though the post-wind chill temp was in the low teens. I'm raising my glass of orange juice to a great, fresh start.</div>
Double Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11383069026743835206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8636610838133942829.post-65904384596094273262013-01-20T20:21:00.000-05:002013-01-20T20:21:30.248-05:00New Year: New GoalsLike every other person on the planet, I approach the new year as a fresh start. I review my <a href="http://www.breakingdownthebank.blogspot.com/p/double-es-life-list.html">life list</a>, think about the things in my life that I'm not loving and try to find ways to change them. Since starting a new job and saying goodbye to my childhood home as I helped my parents move was enough to be going on with for the first part of this month, I'm just getting started now.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A0e9trzXsCo/UPyVmy7nLrI/AAAAAAAAAeY/p3twcfmhSAM/s1600/Our+Wedding+-61.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A0e9trzXsCo/UPyVmy7nLrI/AAAAAAAAAeY/p3twcfmhSAM/s320/Our+Wedding+-61.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Beautiful Home, I miss it already.<br />Photo: <a href="http://www.summerjeanphotography.com/">Summer Jean Photography</a></td></tr>
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For those who care, the new job is going great, I definitely made the right decision. I'm being challenged enough to stay motivated, I like the company and the nature of my work and am genuinely excited about my career for the first time in a long while. I will continue to leave my professional life outside the scope of this blog, but I think that our work sets the tone for a lot of other things in our lives. So it's worth addressing that mine is keeping me very busy, but also very happy right now.<br />
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2012 was a pretty darn big year for me, so I'm looking forward to 2013 as a chance to focus on all the little stuff that slowly got away from me last year. More specifically: my health. Which isn't to say that I did a <i>bad </i>job last year, I started training for a marathon, I discovered (and promptly fell in love with) yoga, and tried the <i>Clean </i>diet. Unfortunately, somewhere in the mess of moving, marrying, living apart for 2 months, unemployment, and the strain of the Grige's extremely intense first semester, all of that fell apart... without me really noticing.<br />
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So healthy goals are taking the lead for 2013. Especially with work being busy, it's important to be realistic. I've divided my approach into three categories: Diet, Exercise and Mental Wellness.<br />
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<b><i><u>Diet</u></i></b><br />
With realism in mind, I'm not going to try any crazy juice diets this time. I'll be practicing BPP or Balance, Preparation and Portion control. I'll achieve Balance by using a phone application that calculates calories to balance my diet with my exercise. I'll also be aiming for meals that hit all my major food groups. Preparation will likely be the most important part of my plan. I've set my weekly shopping day for very early on Sunday mornings. I'll then dedicate the rest of the morning to preparing meals for the week, so all I have to do is grab them out of the fridge. I'm also spending the extra $ to keep a stash of clif bars and smoothies on hand for quick energy. Keeping our fridge stocked with easy meals will help me stay on track. Portion Control is the tough part, especially after exercising. I've bought smaller tupperware containers for lunches, but I've also bought some small bowls and plates to keep me in the right mind frame when I eat at home too.<br />
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<b><i><u>Exercise</u></i></b><br />
My exercise goals for this year are all about figuring out what <i>works </i>in real life. Rather than bogging myself down in one big goal (like a marathon) I'm sprinkling things around a little bit. I'm still looking for a yoga home, but I'm hoping to add to my home practice by finding a studio I'd like to attend 2-3 times a week. In addition, I'm planning to fit in cardio 4-5 times a week. I'd like to combine running and swimming to keep things interesting. Finally, I purchased <i>Jillian Michaels 30 day shred</i> for a high impact start to my routine. I know it will keep me motivated to see great results early on, and from what I've heard, this will give me the boost I need to feel strong in my training. Accountability and planning will be the most important parts of my plan. To hit both of these elements, I'm signing up for the Go! St. Louis half marathon in April. I was running 1/2 marathon mileage when I dropped my marathon training last year, so I know it's within my reach.<br />
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<b><i><u>Mental Health</u></i></b><br />
The whole point of all of my health goals is to feel good about myself. So I'm not going to ignore the mental part. Having a job that I like and health goals to fill my time is a good start, but I think I need to reach a little farther than that. I'd like to make some friends here in STL, which is not something I usually do well. To narrow the scope, I'm hoping to find a running buddy as a start. I also hope to visit my friends a lot this year, I don't want to lose touch just because we've moved.<br />
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So those are my big goals for 2013. Certainly, I have metrics to back them all up, but those aren't really important out of context. I'm hoping to review my video series with results in both weight and inches lost, a'la www.healthytippingpoint.com, but we'll see if I have time or not.Double Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11383069026743835206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8636610838133942829.post-90255914606582885752013-01-05T15:15:00.000-05:002013-01-05T15:15:25.944-05:00Dear Nordica Cinnamon Girl:I Love you.<br />
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For my birthday, the Grige delivered a 100% awesome two days of skiing at Boyne Highlands in Northern Michigan. I got to demo skis, which, if you were paying attention, is <i>exactly</i> what I wanted to celebrate my sojourn into my "late" twenties. I've always been super happy with my race skis, which I bought off a coach at a camp out west back in 2004. They're really outdated and far to aggressive for me, so the new technology available really impressed me.<br />
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One thing I noticed as I tried to do some research in preparation for my day of trying new skis is that there aren't too many ski reviews for ladies out there. Obviously, choosing a ski is really personal, but I figured I would round up my experience with the skis that I tried to add to the literature out there.<br />
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First, me as a skier:<br />
I'm a former racer who gets to ski primarily in Michigan or the east coast, so front side shredding is what I am best at. I am looking for a ski that can perform on any terrain or conditions, but really shines cutting through crud, gripping on ice, and providing responsive, fast turns with nearly unlimited speed potential with minimal effort.<br />
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I am a very good skier, but i would not have considered myself an "expert". I had heard that a women skiing at a fairly advanced level on aggressive men's skis would likely find themselves on the high end of expert territory in women-specific models, and I found this to be about one thousand percent true. My advice would be to grade yourself only on the terrain you ski most often on when choosing a ski, rather than downgrading yourself for inexperience in certain conditions.<br />
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What I Demo-ed:<br />
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Nordica Cinnamon Girl (164 cm)<br />
<i>These were the clear winner and probably ruined me for all the other skis for the rest of the day. It's a testament to the talent of the guy in the demo shop that he put me in these first. I loved them from the first turn. While the skis were amazingly responsive, I pushed them as fast as I can go (which is really fast) and didn't experience any chattering or feel reigned in. They turned quickly and easily to avoid other skiers, and I felt in perfect control even at high speeds. I was able to fly through crud without catching edges and float over what little powder there was easily. It was the easiest, most fun skiing I've ever done. I went back to these for a few hours at the end of the day and was shopping for a pair on the ride home. The only con is that the stupid graphics on these could only be appreciated by a 12-year-old or the type of woman who has a dolphin sunset tramp stamp. I don't have a solution for that problem, but I'll be going so fast that no one will be able to see them anyway.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R4ZbcemTRy0/UOiI_Ld1orI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/Dp2DHLkjpDE/s1600/9954_pic1c.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R4ZbcemTRy0/UOiI_Ld1orI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/Dp2DHLkjpDE/s640/9954_pic1c.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nordica Cinnamon Girl</td></tr>
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<i><br /></i>
Volkl Kenja (164 cm)<br />
<i>The Kenja's were a strong second choice for me. They're responsive, light and float-y. I think they would be phenomenal in powder, but since I rarely get to ski powder, it's not a high priority for me. The big cons for me on these were speed and the amount of time it took to transfer from rail to rail. It's a very different skiing rhythm from what I'm used to, though it wasn't necessarily unpleasant. Sadly, these started chattering long before I hit full-throttle and didn't handle crud with the ease that the Nordica's did. Had I not ridden the Nordia's first, or if I lived where powder was readily available, I would be singing their praises. Also, the graphics are notably less stupid than many other women's skis. </i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4AciNDSeXAc/UOiJL6XdKbI/AAAAAAAAAEY/1xLzFdOTqKc/s1600/122520.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="170" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4AciNDSeXAc/UOiJL6XdKbI/AAAAAAAAAEY/1xLzFdOTqKc/s640/122520.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Volkl Kenja</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
Volkl Chiara (164 cm)<br />
<i>These ski themselves, and not in a good way. Marketing them to an "intermediate to advanced" woman is insane, unless she's over 80 years-old. They were sluggish, limited in turn style and radius, and pretty much the opposite of fun in every way. I couldn't wait to get them off. Sorry, Volkl. You really missed the mark on these. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kqT41t6sRWc/UOiJUjBf0AI/AAAAAAAAAEg/keof1Rr9y4M/s1600/272761_272761_1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kqT41t6sRWc/UOiJUjBf0AI/AAAAAAAAAEg/keof1Rr9y4M/s320/272761_272761_1.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Volkl Chiara</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
Volkl Men's RTM 84 (180 cm)<br />
<i>It's hard to compare these to the lady versions, but they just don't make/stock women't skis with this level of aggression. My current skis are 173 cm, and I like that. women's skis usually top out at about 164 or 168 cm. Since my skis are so old, these were meant to give me a good idea of what the ski I'm riding now would be like with new technology. They were a ridiculous amount of fun - super fast, a little too long to be considered "responsive", but they were delightfully turn-y and truly just ripped. I loved them, but they're not likely to be much fun on anything but empty groomers. They're just too fast to deal with crowds and not wide enough to be any fun on powder. If I was still racing, I would be all about these. Also, no stupid graphics and not a shade of pink in sight. </i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jn965tgHPdE/UOiJc-SbRII/AAAAAAAAAEo/UJt7zDaC0Mo/s1600/3244307.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jn965tgHPdE/UOiJc-SbRII/AAAAAAAAAEo/UJt7zDaC0Mo/s320/3244307.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Volkl RTM 84</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8636610838133942829.post-19861326429087149102012-12-18T19:07:00.001-05:002012-12-18T19:08:18.293-05:00A Displaced Person...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's holiday card season! I love holiday cards, and our recent marriage means that the Grige and I have gotten a LOT of them for the first time on our own. It's very exciting. However, I have an observation to make:<br />
<br />
There is a thing, with addresses, where people send things to us as "Mr. and Mrs. Grige E. Fisk". I would really like someone to explain this to me. Is it just a convention that has hung on for no real reason? Is there a good reason that we can't just abolish it? Why do sane and reasonable people whom I love still do this?<br />
<br />
It doesn't make any sense. I'm perfectly comfortable receiving mail as "Mr. and Mrs. Fisk", that is a good way to shorten us to our married titles. I'm not going to get up on my high horse and complain about the fact that no one cares that I would prefer to use Ms. instead of Mrs. But, if there is room for the Grige's middle initial, there is sure as hell room for my first name.<br />
<br />
I'm sure the people who address things this way don't mean to upset me. But if no one ever says anything about the passive subversion of women's worth - my worth - that it implies, they'll never know how much it offends me. Choosing to take the Grige's last name was a hard enough decision for me, and one I'm still not wholly comfortable with. Receiving mail addressed to me as "Mrs. Grige" is like getting slapped in the face. It makes me feel like I no longer exist.<br />
<br />
At first, I wanted to justify my anger by saying that I am and always have been the higher earner in our household. Paired with the Grige's debt and my lack thereof, higher earner has been equivalent to "breadwinner" for the last few years, way before we were married. Ergo, I deserve to have my name on the envelope, and maybe people should just start sending things to us as "Mrs. and Mr. Emily Fisk"<br />
<br />
However vindicated that argument might make me feel, it's just another layer on the problem cake. Any wife, no matter what form her contributions to the household come in, deserves to have her name on her mail. The end.<br />
<br />
So, I'll be spending the remainder of my funemployment contemplating a good way to address (ha! pun.) this with my loved ones. You know, feminist baby steps. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8636610838133942829.post-88417927326022165492012-12-17T22:38:00.000-05:002012-12-17T22:54:46.823-05:00A Song<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Because it's been a sad weekend, and I don't have a kid to hug.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzZZz_w91bp1Iy1pgRy9FLsNm1O7IpLBXj6P4eU-sV2MD7RE0st5Pgs8ZGAr5gVhqpTjiBfKfZGYFy2ibiRxw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
This is Tiger Mountain Peasant Song. Originally done by Fleet Foxes, and covered beautifully by First Aid Kit and less beautifully by me. But, you know, self esteem! and stuff.<br />
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Also, I kind of wanted an excuse to try uploading video via blogger. It's a total miracle that my dinosaur of a computer will do this at all, but pardon the quality anyhow. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0