Love & Honor

"As a matter of fact, I rather feel like expressing myself now." -Audrey Hepburn

[lovenhonor-blog]

Howdy Y'all!

Kris here, reporting live from our new home in the ‘burbs of Nashville, TN. It’s still a little bit surreal to write that. A couple friends have asked recently if I’m still blogging, and while the answer is “not really,” I thought I’d check in and catch up from where I last left off. My last vague post (over a year ago!?!) referred to some upcoming decisions, changes and plans, and well…this was it. Luke finally completed his training with a year of fellowship, and the night of graduation, we loaded up the car in Cincinnati and drove down to Tennessee.

Our world has changed and is changing so much that I often have to stop, take it all in, and remind myself that this is my life and not someone else’s. Life here feels much more “grown up” than our lives a year ago. I’m not sure if it’s the new house, our new friends and neighbors, the new responsibilities and pressures that come with Luke being in practice and no longer in training, our new plans, dreams and priorities for our future here…probably all of the above.

Having lived in an 800 sq. foot apartment in downtown Cincinnati, it’s been quite an adjustment moving back into a house. Portions of the house are still lacking furniture or are completely empty, the walls are bare, and I have a feeling it is going to take months – no – years to get the place “finished,” if that is really even possible.  Furniture shopping is so time consuming and expensive! I feel like we can’t even get to the fun stuff (wall décor, accessories, etc.) until we acquire the major pieces.  Generally speaking, though, I am loving turning this once-empty house into our home, piece by piece.

Since moving here, Luke and I celebrated our 2-year wedding anniversary, (2.5 years as of now) which sounds very “newlywed-ish” still, but these last several months of transition have brought us closer than ever, I feel. Even after being together for 7.5 years we continue to grow and surprise each other, and I am so grateful for him.

We’ve made some fantastic new friends down here, and in typical Southern fashion, everyone is overwhelmingly kind and welcoming. I’ve enjoyed exploring the area with these new friends, and am finally starting to feel like we are “home.” It’s a great feeling.

[lovenhonor-blog]

Currently: January Edition

This post has been going around blog-land, and I found it on Missris' blog (who always has clever posts/link-ups), so, why not take a moment to capture a snapshot of life right now? With my blogging habits these days, it will be another 2 months before I sit down and write again!

Reading: The Hunger Games. I know, a little late, right? I'm always years behind whatever the trendy new book or tv series happens to be. After seeing the second Hunger Games movie and being left in such suspense, I decided I needed to read the books so I don't have to wait until next year to find out what happens. Loving: My husband. Things have been a little hectic and stressful in our lives recently, and I've been pretty cranky as a result. He has got to be the most patient man I know, and I'm very grateful for that. Thinking: about a LOT of things, which unfortunately I can't reveal at the moment (I know, I hate when people do that). But there is a constant flurry of "to-do's" and "what-if's" going around in my head these days. Feeling: Anxious from aforementioned thoughts, decisions and plans (I promise I'll elaborate soon), and also from being cooped up inside during these brutal winter months!  Anticipating: SPRING. In 4 weeks we'll be out at Red's spring training in sunny Arizona, and then I get to go to Hawaii for the first time for a girls' trip! I am beyond excited and cannot wait to be on the beach!!!

Inspired by: people who seem to have endless patience and kindness. I am really trying to work on the patience thing lately and it is HARD. I'm learning that when you pray for patience, instead of miraculously acquiring patience, you get opportunities in which you are forced to practice patience. And for a "type A" person like myself, this is zero fun. Watching: The Biggest Loser. I am slightly obsessed with these fitness shows (Extreme Weight Loss, etc.). They are motivating, inspiring, and a rare thing for media these days...uplifting. Sad: at the thought of what our homeless population is enduring during these subzero temperatures. Even without this crazy polar vortex weather, winter can be cruel and the thought of people trying to survive the temperatures we've experienced lately is almost unfathomable, and definitely heartbreaking. All winter I've been driving around with a stash of hand warmers in my car that I give out when I drive past a homeless person. I know this does absolutely nothing in terms of getting them off the street, but hopefully it makes it at least a little more bearable. Working: hardly ever these days (or so it feels)! I am shocked at how frequently the University has closed/delayed campus for the cold. Last week I worked only 1 full day the entire week, and this week I've already had another "snow day." I'm certainly not complaining though! Grateful: for new opportunities on the horizon. Listening: to so much country music now. I used to hate country music and now, aside from classical, it's pretty much all I listen to! I must be getting too old for the stuff "the kids" are listening to these days. Wishing: -- I can't tell, or else it won't come true! ;)

Thus concludes the most vague post in the history of blog posts.

What are you reading, wishing, and grateful for? Link up if you're playing along on your blog!

[lovenhonor-blog]

2013 Year in Review

I cannot believe another year has come to an end...They say your twenties is for figuring out who you are as an adult, before hitting that magical point in your 30's where life makes (at least a little) sense and you are stable, content, and in general much happier than you were in your 20s. So I hear.

There may be some truth to it. I can't predict how I'll feel in the future but I can say that this past year has been one giant transition. For the most part it's been really exciting and fun, and kind of stressful, but mostly fun. :)

In 2013 I...

Went skydiving

Ran my first two half marathons ever

Rediscovered my love for yoga

Celebrated Luke's graduation from residency and passing of his Boards

Quit my job

Sold our house and moved to a new state

Found a new job

Attended WAY more MLB, NFL, and other local sports events than I ever wanted to (but discovered I really like it!)

Became kind of a foodie (not in the sense that I know everything there is to know about gourmet food, but rather that eating at restaurants with fun/unique menus has become a hobby of ours...what can I say, this girl likes to eat!)

Traveled to New York City for 2 weeks, Vegas (twice), Nashville (twice), Knoxville, Charlotte, Chicago (twice), Columbus, and Kalamazoo

Attended my first weekend-long music festival

Met new friends, rekindled old friendships

Spent more time with our families thanks to our proximity

Celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary

Congratulated both my little brother AND my older sister on their ENGAGEMENTS (so many weddings to look forward to next year!)

It's been kind of an awesome year. And for that I am very very thankful.

Tonight we'll be ringing in 2014 at a new restaurant that just opened last week; dining with the Wallaces - the other ortho fellow and his wife. It's been nice to have another couple to experience this crazy year with. :) Afterward we'll join my high school BFF's and their boyfriends (and a few hundred other people) at a 1920's Speakeasy themed New Year's event in downtown Cinci. It's only natural that we spend NYE together, since we've been doing it almost every year for about, what, 14 years now?

2014 is guaranteed to bring many more exciting adventures that I am already looking forward to! Wishing you and yours a healthy, happy New Year...Cheers!

[lovenhonor-blog]

Columbus Half Marathon - Race Recap

I survived half marathon #2! Sort of...

Reflections on Training: Once I settled into a new routine here in Cincinnati (and switched from the full marathon registration to the half) I jumped back into the half training and really enjoyed my runs with my group in Kentucky. For those who don't know, the only thing that separates our apartment in Ohio from Kentucky is a 0.5 mile bridge over the river, so I spent the majority of my training in Kentucky rather than in Ohio. Running is such a refreshing way to get to know a new area, and I've loved discovering charming neighborhoods in Kentucky and here in Cincinnati. But I digress...

Somewhere along the way training became more of a chore than something I enjoyed. I'm not sure why, because once I actually laced up my shoes and ran, I felt great and I loved it! But that's about the time that I started experiencing knee pain. I cut down on my mid-week runs until I was only doing long runs on the weekend so as not to aggravate my knee even further. To my surprise, it seemed to be working! I was able to get through the longer runs feeling pretty good, and enjoyed the company of my old college roomie (and running superstar), Janet, who just moved back to town! During the weekdays I would focus on strengthening and yoga instead of running.

Even though I was excited and hyped up by this race weekend, the entire training process was much more lackluster than the last time around. Perhaps because I already knew my body could do it (with the proper training), or perhaps because life has been chaotic and running has not been at the forefront of my mind every day, or maybe because running in 90 degrees all summer sucks...who knows. But come race day (yesterday), I was confident that I could finish the half, I just didn't know how great I'd feel doing it.

Race Day: Having run in HOT summer temps for the last few months, my body was shocked at the 38 degrees we were experiencing at the start of the race. It was SO. COLD. Still, I'll take 38 over 98 any day. The course was electric even before sunrise with spectators cheering, awesome bands playing, and humorous signs like "You are running better than the government!"

As everyone promised, it was a fairly flat course, and very scenic! Everything from beginning to end was planned and executed impeccably (Thanks Cbus Marathon!). It was also fantastic to have a friend to run with - one of my singing buddies from our college a cappella group, Molly. We both started out feeling solid and enjoying the cool, crisp morning, but toward the end we were both hurting. My knee pain crept back in about half way through the race, and by mile 9 it was officially a sharp, serious pain - no longer the dull, achy pain it had been up to this point. We ran the next few miles whining that we were ready for this to be over with, and kicked it up the last mile, giving it our all to cross the finish line.

It's usually at this point after crossing a finish line that I feel an overwhelming sense of satisfaction and euphoria (read: runner's high) and am ready to take on the world while simultaneously signing up for another race, but at this moment, I could barely walk and just wanted to stop hurting. I was thrilled to receive my finisher's medal, then stiffly trudged through the tent village with Molly to attempt to stretch.

The Aftermath: Not long after, I was excited to see Janet running toward the finish line of the full marathon, and found out she PR'd by 7 minutes! We headed to brunch to celebrate, and this is where I was hit with a serious wave of nausea and barely made it to the restroom in time to puke my guts out. I feel like I was properly hydrated and didn't over-do it on the sport beans, so I really have no idea why I threw up, or why it took well over an hour after the race to catch up with me. But it was awful.

We got home back to Cincinnati, and the sports medicine doc I just so happen to live with examined my knee. Diagnosis: Torn Meniscus. I am majorly bummed about this because I know it could impact my activity from here on out, but I feel like if I cool it on the running for a (long) while and try to find some new ways to stay active and fit, I can manage the pain without having to resort to surgery. (I have absolutely no basis for this prediction, other than I want to keep exercising and I don't want to have surgery.)

So in the end, it was not the prettiest or most successful training and race day, but I crossed that finish line still running strong, and I'll treasure my ginormous 13.1 medal just the same. Right now I am not currently signed up for any more races, nor do I really have a desire to sign up for another one just yet, but I highly doubt I am retiring my running shoes for good. :)

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Grateful.

Lately I feel like life has been on hyperspeed, and it's so easy to get caught up in all of the exciting chaos we experience from day to day. (Like, for example, how is it already almost October!?!?) I don't take the time to express my gratitude as often as I would like or should, so I think I'll take a moment to do that now.

This is not an attempt to be profound or an exercise in bragging about all the reasons I love life...it's just a simple "thank you" to anyone and everyone who has bettered my life in some way.

I'm thankful for...

Friends and family. Even when you know you love them, you don't realize how much they fulfill you until you don't have them around. This became abundantly apparent when I moved to Michigan and didn't know anyone. And again when I left Michigan and had to say goodbye to my friends there. And again when I got to Ohio and had old friends and family back in my daily life. So thanks, friends and family, for being a part of my life.

My faith. It's cliche, but when life gets scary or challenging, I can rely on my faith. When I am happy and blessed, I have God to thank and I know it.

My husband. Technically he falls under "friends and family," but he gets a special shout out. He's taught me so many things about myself and the world around me...how to love, how to fight, how to not worry so much, how to lighten up, how to take risks, how to like sports, how to TRY to like beer, how to dream big, how to not settle, how to figure out this whole marriage thing, and so much more. Thank you.

Our pup. Sheely is our first "child," if you will, and she brings so much joy into our lives. I feel bad that she's stuck in an apartment this year, but soon we'll make sure she has a big back yard to frolic and chase squirrels. I know she won't be around for forever (which already breaks my heart), but I'm so glad she's ours for now. So, random family we found on craigslist giving up their puppy for adoption, thanks for doing that.

A job. Having had to search for jobs several times since graduating college and grad school, there's nothing more demoralizing than getting a rejection letter, or no response at all, while your bank account dwindles and your derrière expands from sitting on the couch all day drowning your sorrows in a pint of ice cream. Been there, done that, and am so thankful to have not had a single day of unemployment during this transition to Ohio. I know a lot of people in this country would give (and have given) just about everything to have employment and I absolutely do not take it for granted!

Education. Having a solid education is something my parents instilled in me for as long as I can remember. Not only is having a good education imperative for finding a decent job, but I love to learn! Even to this day, the thought of signing up for a class every now and then still piques my interest. You're never too old to learn something new. Thanks to all of the amazing educators that have influenced me in one way or another.

A vehicle, nice apartment, etc. These are all luxuries...it's easy to feel entitled to them when, as Donna Summer would say, you "work hard for the money," but when I pass homeless people on the way to and from work every day, I better damn well appreciate these things, and I do.

Health. I've been incredibly blessed in this area up to this point life. I've never broken a bone or had to spend the night in a hospital. I always see motivational running quotes that say something like "run because someday you won't be able to"...but it's true! I'm thankful that my body is even capable of challenging itself because someday I'll be a wrinkly old lady with a bathroom counter covered in prescription medicine bottles, and the only running I'll be doing is to the bathroom so I don't have to wear Depends. (Too far? Sorry.)

Spontaneity and Me Time...going to concerts, eating out, shopping, going to sports events, traveling, lounging by the pool, seeing movies, sleeping in, etc. I'm at a point in life where I have many friends with children and they don't get enough "me" time. What they don't realize is that they've put into perspective how grateful I am for the opportunity to be selfish and have fun pretty much whenever I feel like it. This is not to bash them in any way, because caring for their little ones is probably more fulfilling than hanging out at the bar - but all I'm saying is that I'm appreciating the bar while I still can. Thanks Mamas and Papas for all your hard parenting work, and for reminding me to "live in the now."

The future. I don't know exactly what it will look like, but I hope it involves a home full of family, love and laughter. I'm already thankful for the children I don't yet have, the memories I have not yet made, and the adventures that lie in store!

There's much, much more...but this seems like a good place to stop for now. :)

[lovenhonor-blog]

Dusting off the keyboard.

I just got an email that says my Tumblr dashboard misses me, because I rarely get on here these days. Maybe now is a good time to write about what I’m up to recently!

Work: I recently started a management position at a music conservatory. I’ve been in the arts administration industry for a few years now, and found myself loving it, so I figured it would be fairly easy to transition into this new job. In some ways I was right - I am very comfortable here in the academic and professional musician world. In other ways I had no idea what I was getting myself into. My job entails coordinating about 300 performances of various kinds: mainstage productions, concerts, guest artist series, faculty and student recitals, auditions from opera/dance/theatre companies from all over the world, and so on. That’s just for this semester. Next semester, we’ll have that AND about 200 additional recitals. Needless to say, my office door is always revolving with inquiries and things are always busy! Occasionally I’ll steal away a few quiet moments to scarf down food by locking myself in my office. The first few weeks were long, exhausting hours, but now I’m settling into a routine at about 50 hours/week. All in all, I’m so thankful for this job and am loving it!

Play: So much sports spectating. Thanks to Luke’s new job covering a MLB team, the D1 high school football state champs, and a local college, I have been to wayyyy more games than I ever planned, and we’re just getting started! I’ve been to about 10 baseball games this season and am loving getting to know more about the organization, the players (and their families), and the stadium (with so many cool restaurants, passageways, VIP entrances, and more that I never knew about!). I have been to a couple of the HS football games, which is more like a college football game because their following is HUGE in this area, and they are die-hard fans! It’s very exciting to observe, and I plan on adding a new team shirt to my wardrobe for future games. We also have season tickets to the Bengals this year - so even more games are in our future. I’ve never really gotten “into” sports all that much growing up, but I am loving being at all the games in person! So much fun!

Exercise: I was in a non-exercise rut for a few weeks while I was getting used to the new work schedule. It’s so easy to fall back into the habit of not working out: you’re tired from the work day, so you don’t work out. Then because you don’t work out, you don’t have as much energy, and then you’re too tired to work out again. Seems counter-intuitive, but working out after a long day at work is so energizing! Anyway, I’ve jumped back into a pseudo-regular running schedule. Short runs a couple times a week (in the oppressive 90+ degree temps and 90% humidity. gah.), long runs on Saturday mornings, and cross training in between. I’m still not quite at the level of conditioning I’d like to be for this upcoming half-marathon, but I’m catching up. The good thing is that my training is here in this ridiculously hilly city with SO, MANY. BRIDGES. (For you non-runners, bridges = more hills. It doesn’t seem like it when you’re driving them, but try running them.) The half-marathon, however, is supposedly nice and FLAT. Yessss.

Eat: Living downtown has granted us numerous dining options within just a few minutes of walking or driving. We eat out A LOT. Too much, probably, but there are just so many great restaurants to try here, and we are taking full advantage of exploring this great city! So far we’ve covered pretty much all of the restaurants downtown on the river, in Hyde Park Square, and now we’re working our way through Over the Rhine. Somehow I’ve actually lost 5 pounds since moving here, but I would not be surprised if that changed after several months of this. Trying to keep everything in moderation!

We’re in our 3rd month here (can’t believe it!) and are embracing life to the fullest. Work hard, play hard. That’s the game plan for this year!

[lovenhonor-blog]

Going with the flow.

Hey, remember that one time I signed up for a marathon and was really excited about tackling the training? Me too. It was before I had an injury that kept me from running for a couple weeks, and before I got a new job that had me at the office about 60 hours/week. I wake up every morning exhausted, I drink coffee all day to stay awake, I get home exhausted, I eat dinner, and I fall asleep and do it all again the next day.

Long story short, this transition totally threw off my life/workout schedule and I haven't run in probably a month. So today, I finally caved in and switched my race registration from the full marathon to the half marathon. I'm not even upset about having to switch really, because I know a full marathon is just not even in the realm of possibility right now. Even the half at this point might be a stretch. I REALLY need to get it in gear before October 20th gets here.

I'm not quite sure how I'm going to make this work with the new schedule. Can someone just come motivate me to run every day between now and October? Oh, and can you find a couple extra hours to fit in the day every day? Struggling over here.

Sincerely,

Overworked* and Under-trained

P.S. Do not let this complaining about my schedule lead you to believe that I am anything but grateful for this new job. I am SO lucky to have this job - and so far I love it!

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Old hobbies, new scenery.

This relocation to Cincinnati has afforded me the luxury of working from home for the next couple months (for my previous employer) while in the meantime looking for some work to keep me busy the rest of the year.

This means that I have a significantly more flexible schedule, and more time to do what I love - work out!

I've been busy checking out various group fitness classes and figuring out what I want to incorporate in my new routine here. With marathon training kicking off, this week's workout schedule looks something like this:

Monday - Run 6 miles + Barre class

Tuesday - Yoga on the Green

Wednesday - Group Run: 6 miles (negative splits) + TRX class

Thursday - Run 5 miles easy

Friday - Rest

Saturday - Group Long Run: 7 miles

Sunday - Run 5 miles easy or Rest*

*I can pretty much guarantee that this Sunday I'll opt for "rest" since I'll be at the Bunbury Music Festival all weekend! (But yes, I'll still be running my long run nice and early Saturday morning.)

Speaking of long run, I had all winter to complain about how miserable the running conditions were in Michigan with snow, sleet, and freezing temperatures...so it was only natural that my first long run here in Cincinnati took place on a morning where it down poured non-stop for the entire run. Usually when it rains it will lighten up to a drizzle every now and then, but this morning, every time I thought it couldn't rain any harder, it would. Later that day it actually caused flash flooding all over the city. Awesome. Really though, I didn't mind it, because for the first time since we've moved here it wasn't 90 degrees and 100% humidity. I'll take running wet and cool over hot and humid any day.

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Transitions...

Here I sit, on a drizzly gray morning, looking out our window at the historic blue Roebling Suspension Bridge that connects Kentucky and Ohio. (In 1866 when it first opened to pedestrians, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world!) Little did I know back in 2011 when we had these engagement photos taken, that we would move back to Cincinnati, and live at the foot of this architectural beauty. 

(Engagement photo from 2011)

(Photo I snapped from our balcony, 2013)

This weekend marks one month (!) in the new apartment, and with the chaos of moving and unpacking slowing down, I finally have a moment to stop and reflect upon the chapter of our lives that we said goodbye to just a few short weeks ago.

5 years ago...

I had never even heard of Kalamazoo, Michigan.

I was falling in love with a very sweet, intelligent, fun guy who convinced me to spend the summer with him before I took off for grad school.

I was ambitiously ready to take on the world - through graduate study and a career, and not at all thinking about "settling down."

I moved to Kalamazoo with Luke

I watched Luke start his journey as a first-year resident, coming home every day with stories of exciting new things he had learned and challenges he had faced.

I couldn't find a job for the summer, had zero friends, and couldn't wait to move to Chicago for grad school.

I went to a few dinners with the other ortho residents' wives and felt even more out of place - being the youngest person there and the only one without children.

I was sure that Kalamazoo was not the town for me.

Since then...

I finished grad school.

I made an effort to give Kalamazoo a chance, and made some truly wonderful friends.

My career goals changed, and I found a job that I absolutely loved.

I went from an apartment dweller to a co-homeowner, and experienced many of the joys and frustrations that come with home improvement projects, decorating, and homemaking.

Luke got down on one knee and asked me to marry him right in the middle of our kitchen - and I said yes!

I discovered new hobbies that I would never have seen myself doing 5 years ago.

I spent many weekends on the beautiful lakes that the area has to offer, and decided that wherever we end up, a lake must be in the vicinity!

I felt like I "belonged" in the community, through my various circles at work, the ortho girls, the hospital, running, yoga, etc.

I witnessed Luke develop into a skilled orthopaedic surgeon, and proudly watched him graduate from residency.

I've become more than content with the idea of being "settled down." I've grown to love our little family, and look forward to one day adding to the family with some kiddos.

I realized that Kalamazoo was, in fact, the perfect place for us during this chapter of our lives. We have so many great memories, and in a way, did a lot of growing up there. It will always have a piece of my heart, and I will (and already do) miss the wonderful people we met during our journey in Kzoo.

Thanks for a fantastic 5 years, Kalamazoo. We'll miss you and all of your charm!

(At residency graduation with the Jastifer's - fellow ortho resident and dear friends. June 2013.)

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So, what's next?

I signed up to run last weekend's half marathon as a kick-start to a healthier, more active lifestyle. This is something I hope to continue regularly, although the activity could look different down the road: biking, swimming, more advanced yoga...who knows. I've said it before, and I'll say it again - running is HARD on the body. It can be brutal on your joints and muscles if you don't train properly or recover properly from an injury, your organs are constantly getting jostled around, your GI system revolts whenever it feels like it, and I recently read an article on Runner's World that talked about peeing blood which said, "don't worry - it's normal." Huh!? (It also said to be sure you don't have any other serious underlying conditions, but still...) That being said, there are many health benefits to running...it burns a lot of calories, makes your heart stronger, if you do it right, it will actually strengthen joints/cartilage, helps prevent osteoarthritis and osteoporosis (which runs in my fam), wipes out stress and depression, boosts energy, and a recent medical study says you'll even live longer! Score! This is all good news for me, since I've caught "the bug" as several of my fellow runners have referenced. Hi I'm Kristina, and I'm a run-a-holic. Hi Kristina. Sooo, largely thanks to many of your comments, messages, and words of encouragement, the next major race will be, drumroll please....the Columbus Marathon! Yep, all 26.2 miles. And yep, I've completely lost my mind. Especially for those who've known me a long time and know how un-athletic I am/was. I'm pretty sure my parents are still getting over the shock that I even own a pair of running shoes (or three).

While the half marathon is something I could see myself doing a few more times in my life, a full marathon is quite possibly something I'll cross off the bucket list once and never attempt again.* This particular marathon in Columbus will be great for a couple reasons:

A college reunion! 2 of my former housemates (Kate and Janet) and a couple other Miami friends (Molly and Bobby) will be running too! Can't wait to see everyone!

The other bonus of this race is that it is fairly flat, which is not at all the case in Kalamazoo or Cincinnati. Since I'll be training in Cinci, I'll (hopefully) be adequately prepared! If you're in the Columbus area or want to go on a road trip - mark your calendars for October 20th, and come out and cheer!

In the immediate next few weeks, we have to get through a garage sale, pack up our house, sell it, celebrate Luke's graduation, do a couple more weekend trips out of town, and move to a new state. So now is an ideal time to take a couple weeks to fully recover from any previous injuries, and get our lives together before starting training again! (This is a positive way of saying, Luke is making me take a couple weeks off of running to recover from my injuries and I don't like it one bit, but at least I'll be busy/distracted over these couple weeks. I'm really itching to get back out there!) To my Kzoo run camp friends and yogi's...y'all are a HUGE part of what I'll miss when we move in a few weeks! I've made an entirely new circle of friends in this community, and I've loved seeing your positive, encouraging faces multiple times a week. I don't know what I'll do without you! I  look forward to following your successes from afar and next winter on Saturday mornings, I'll be thinking of you! *I say that the marathon may be a one-time deal, but that's also what I said about running in general when I signed up for the half. The one thing that could tempt me to do more than one full marathon would be the Chicago Marathon that my friends Ris and Amber are planning to do in 2014. Ris has already assured me that she's going to let me know when registration day is for Chicago so I can sign up. But I'll cross that bridge after October 20th!

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Kalamazoo Half Marathon!

I did it! My first half marathon, and a new PR of 2:21. (My chip time was 3 minutes faster than the gun time, which said I finished in 2:24. Who knew there were 2 different times? Gun? Chip? Still learning something new everyday.) To sum it all up, I’m amazed, kind of still in disbelief, proud, energized, and feeling strong, healthy and happy. I know running is not for everyone (even though I’m trying to convince every non-runner I know otherwise), but if you can get past the initial torture of building up your leg muscles and lungs, It. Is. Totally. Worth. It.

(Coming down the final stretch at mile 13)

Here’s how it all went down:

Day before the race: I went for my last training run at 7:00am on Saturday and it was exactly what I needed. The air was cool, the sun was shining, and I had 3 easy miles all to myself to clear my mind of self-doubt and noise. My legs and lungs felt better than they had in weeks, which gave me that final assurance that I was ready to do this thing.

I went to the race expo to pick up my packet, and ran into about half-a-dozen other runners I've become friends with this year and everyone was buzzing with excitement. I got my bib and shirt, and Luke surprised me at home with an awesome new “13.1” jacket to commemorate this first race.

The spoiling continued as hubby made me a carb-a-licious spaghetti dinner. I gotta say, eating copious amounts of carbs on purpose, with a side of more carbs (garlic bread) knowing that you are actually helping your body perform feels pretty fantastic. If only it could be like this every day. I settled in for the night after laying out all of my running garb and managed to get a pretty solid night’s sleep (and with only one race anxiety related nightmare).

(It still amazes me how much stuff - for lack of a better term - you can fit on your person when running.)

Race morning:

5:30am – I’m wide awake and ready to get moving, even though my alarm isn’t set to go off for another 15 minutes.

6:30am- Luke continues to earn his title of #1 fan/supporter by making me breakfast: piece of wheat toast and an egg.

7:00am- Luke drives me to the start/finish line, then goes downtown to claim a spot along the course.

7:30am – I meet up with my running buddies from Run Camp, we snap a few photos and make our last-second stops at the port-o-potties (gross).

8:10am – Marathoners have already started, we line up at the 2hr 30min pace marker, and I decide at that moment that this will be my goal time for the race. (Yeah, I'm slow, and I'm perfectly okay with it.)

8:20am - Run!

(Part of team "Kicking Asphalt" pre-race)

The Race:  The weather was absolutely perfect. When we started it was mid-upper 50's and sunny. By the time I finished it was in the low 60's, sunny and breezy. Couldn't have asked for anything better! Miles 1-6: Felt effortless and amazing. The streets were packed with cheering spectators, the adrenaline was pumping, music playing, and had my first hubby and Sheely (dog) sighting around mile 3. Miles 7-8: Started to feel like I needed to refuel and that I was about to hit a wall. While this may or may not have actually been the case - it turns out these were also my fastest miles of the morning, so maybe I was just pushing my pace too much. Also to blame was a big wooden bridge that was literally bowing up and down as we ran across it. Imagine running across a trampoline. While you couldn't see the planks moving, we all felt it, and I was instantly motion sick and dizzy for about the next mile.  Mile 9: Ginormous hill. Wanted to give up and walk. Thankfully at the very top Jen and her sister Heather were cheering for me with signs on one side and George was yelling my name from the other. This was the perfect opportunity for some encouragement and energy boosting- and I'm so grateful for them! (Side note: Jen did run camp with me and was signed up to do the 5k race, but she fractured her knee a couple weeks ago and had to call it off. She's been really bummed about the injury but still showed up on race morning to cheer me on with a smile on her face - such a trooper. I know she'll rock it next year!)

(Heather, Jen's sister and their awesome signs!)

Mile 10-11: Definitely was feeling the fatigue, especially after having had a hard time catching my breath from the previously mentioned ginormous hill. Thank goodness for the volunteers handing out popsicles and ice-water sponges along the course. Then, someone's Rottweiler got off its leash and darted out into the course in front of me, which literally stopped me in my tracks so I didn't trip over it, or get bitten by it...not cool.

Mile 12: I heard police sirens behind me and turned to find two cops on motorcycles coming through the course, clearing the path for the first place marathoner - lapping us half marathoners. A few people commented that it was really discouraging to be passed by a marathoner, but I actually found it to be inspiring. How exciting for him...doing something so incredible and superhuman! This last mile had one more nice big hill, and tons of spectators cheering on and high-fiving a total stranger (me). I can see how runners get so emotional at the end of the race - the positive energy, encouragement and excitement is palpable. I didn't tear up, but I did get goosebumps running through that last half mile. Mile 13.1: Right in front of the finish line Luke, Sheely and the Ellwitz family were waiting and cheering...so great to see familiar faces! I crossed the finish still running strong, got my medal, met up with my cheering squad and enjoyed an hour in the beer garden before going home and getting cleaned up to go to work. Not the ideal recovery/celebration, but an awesome day nonetheless.

(Part of the Ellwitz family cheering squad, Liam, Rebekah, and Alexis - thanks again for coming out guys!)

In summary, my legs and lungs felt great! The shin splint and knee issues I had experienced throughout training were non-existent and I'm still really not even sore a day-and-a-half later! Stretching it all out at yoga tonight was glorious. Don't get me wrong, I did have a few struggles along the way, (namely some shoulder/neck tension and feeling overly FULL from drinking so much water at the water stations). Even still, I came in 9 minutes under my goal time, and I couldn't be happier!

(Post-race run camp team photo)

(Best husband, supporter and fan I could ask for.)

(Race swag. Yep, you better believe I'm going to be one of those annoying people with the race magnet on their cars.)

[lovenhonor-blog]

Fell off the (training) wagon.

Caution, whining ahead: I was kind of kicking butt at this whole training for a half marathon thing up until about 3 weeks ago, when it all started to crumble. Between constant traveling, rain for days, some serious shin splints, and a two-week long killer cold, I've been majorly slacking on my mid-week runs - which is now starting to catch up with me. It's not like I have to run a half-marathon in 5 days or anything...

Confessions: I've still managed to get out and run a few times each week, but I haven't been putting in the number of miles I'm supposed to, except for on the weekend long runs. I think this is mostly due to the reasons listed above, but also partially because I am now in the tapering phase of training, so the runs are getting shorter and the pressure is pretty much non-existent when I already know I can run the distance. This month, according to my training schedule I should have run a total of 110 miles. Instead, I ran 74.22. Yyyyep...feeling like a failure.

Excuses: Running is a serious time commitment, and lately there have just been more important things going on that have prevented me from hitting the pavement: cleaning/showing the house, selling the house, traveling to various cities to find a permanent place to live, working, etc. Then, even when I do lace up my running shoes, I've got two things cycling through my head the whole time: "Man, my shin hurts, I wish it would stop." or "Why can't I get a full breath? Feels like an elephant is sitting on my chest. Oh right, because I have this ridiculous never-ending cold...STILL."

I just want my body back to its strong, healthy self so I can enjoy running again. As for the constant rain - well, it's spring, so I guess I'm just going to have to learn to run in the rain. No more excuses.

The bright side: I will say, the traveling has provided some nice scenic long runs around new cities, so that has been enjoyable. This weekend I ran through beautiful Charlotte, NC (and forgot to take pictures). The particular area where we were staying happens to be the same area where all of the bachelors stayed on this past season of "The Bachelorette" (Emily's season for those who watch.) Very beautiful part of town!

Maybe this rut feeling is just a natural part of training, or part of pre-race jitters. Or maybe my body really does need some long-term recovery time after this Sunday's race. But one thing's for sure...I'm crossing that finish line in 5 days, whether I'm running, walking, or crawling.

[lovenhonor-blog]

To Marathon or not to Marathon?

Firstly, regarding the Boston Marathon bombings, my thoughts and prayers continue to be with all those involved. That a human being can be filled with such evil is heartbreaking, but that most other humans are filled with such love and compassion gives me hope. And as for the rest of the running community across the nation - we just have yet another cause to come together and run. Our community welcomed home 3 Boston Marathoners yesterday (of several from this area who qualified and ran), and ran an impromptu Solidarity Run with them. It was a privilege.

Onto my post, something that I've been contemplating for a couple weeks now...what's the next step after this half-marathon (which, by the way, is in 18 days)? I've already signed up for some 5k's and I'll definitely be signing up for another bigger race in about 6 months, but how big do I really want to go? Another half? Or the full 26.2?

I've been continually amazed at my body's ability and endurance throughout this training process, especially having never been an athlete or really getting serious about running until last year. I vividly remember thinking just a few weeks ago, that there's no way I'd want to double this and run a marathon. Then, a few days later, it didn't seem like THAT impossible of an idea (for sometime in the future - if someone asked me to run 26 miles today I'd just curl up in the fetal position and cry).

So, I started asking around. I asked a few friends and run camp buddies who have done marathons what it was really like to train for a marathon and run it. Is it exponentially harder than doing the half? They all gave me similar answers: "If you can train for the half, you can totally train for the full - you just have to have the time to commit to it." This sounds optimistic and somewhat persuasive, but I know how easy it is to say in hindsight that a run really wasn't that hard, when, in the thick of it, you'd give just about anything to be done running.

Mentally, even before, but especially after the tragic events in Boston this week, I would be thrilled and honored to take on the challenge of training for a marathon. Physically, I just don't know if my body is up to it. Especially as I sit here this evening after skipping one of my mid-week runs because my knee is still sore. Who knows what my body will be doing 6 months from now!

I came across this article on running your first marathon:

"What do Oprah Winfrey, George W. Bush, Al Gore, Will Ferrell, Joe Strummer and I all have in common?  No, we didn't all go to the same high school. But we've all run marathons.  In fact, I'm pleased to say that I whipped Al Gore. Still, if there's one thing this proves, it's that anyone can run a marathon. You don't need any particular athletic ability, talent or special equipment. If you've got the gumption and some decent running shoes, you too can run a marathon." 

What do y'all think? Any words of wisdom/advice? Too soon? It's just so...big...and scary...

[lovenhonor-blog]

Great Blog!

Thank you! Yours as well! :)

[healthywhealthy]

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[lovenhonor-blog]

Peak Week!

Well folks, we finally made it. Week 11 of half-marathon training: the 13-miler. This seemed unfathomable in the fall, and even though I had no idea how I was going to get to this point, I never doubted that I would. This has been such a positive challenging experience, largely thanks to run camp.

(My run camp homies. Also, who put me next to the tallest person in the group? I look like a 12 year old.)

Here I sit, the day after the long run, still icing my knee, finishing off a bottle of NSAID's and pumping myself full of water to treat a new knee pain I've never experienced (there's always some new ache I'm discovering throughout this process it seems). I'm totally okay with it though, because I ran a half-freaking-marathon yesterday. In fact, I actually ran 14 miles on accident because the turn-around point was unmarked and all of our GPS's were different.

(Those were the LAST 2 Advil - oh, the horror!)

This run was meant to be a trial of the upcoming race in a few weeks, but I'm pretty positive that I endured every possible obstacle and curve-ball you could think of this week, so the May 5th race is looking like a piece of cake.

Let's start with the weather conditions: When I woke up Saturday morning weather.com told me there was 0% chance of precipitation until Noon. Score! I was a bit skeptical, as it has been raining non-stop for a week, but 0% is a pretty bold statement - it did not say 20% or 50%, it said 0%. I did my morning long-run/get ready rituals and drove out to our starting point. By the time I got out of the car it was 30-something degrees and raining/sleeting. LIES weather.com! About 2 miles into our run, the rain turned into solid ice pellets. I am not exaggerating here. I spent the next couple miles being pelted in the face by tiny hail and internally chastising myself for not grabbing my hat on the way out the door. On the way back to the finish I was thankful for plain old snow flurries (never thought I'd say that.)

Enter the wind. At points the head-wind was so strong I felt as if I was running full force, but not actually moving forward. A couple times the wind whipped up from the side and almost knocked me off balance. For a few glorious seconds the wind was at our backs pushing us forward, but that was rare. 

As for the geographical conditions:This was by far the hilliest course I have run in all of training. There were maybe 3 miles of flat surface, but otherwise it was constant, unending rolling hills. Some small ones, some massive ones. And of course, a nice big one at the very last mile. My glutes were on FIRE. This picture below resembles one of the hills we ran. It was one of those hills that, as you approach, you see the ground dive down so steeply that the uphill on the other side looks like a 90 degree wall. The down-hill parts were almost as brutal as the up-hill.

Then there's my own physical obstacles: I have shin splints in my right leg, but thanks to the new compression sleeves, my right leg felt great. My left shin, on the other hand, was killing me for the first 4 miles. It wasn't a shin splint/stress fracture kind of pain where you can pinpoint the exact location, but rather the entire front side of my shin was just burning. It felt tight, painful, and on fire. I was starting to question whether I was going to get through the entire run, and then - finally - the pain eased up and disappeared after mile 4.

(Compression sleeves, the most unattractive article of clothing/accessory I have ever owned. But they feel amazing.)

Now that my muscles were finally happy and my legs were on autopilot, my stomach decided to chime in and start causing major discomfort. I tried Gu a while back and found it to be the most disgusting thing I've consumed in a long time. And I'm a pretty adventurous eater. Nonetheless I wanted to make sure I got through this run, so at one of our water stations I choked down half a Gu. The texture literally elicits a gag-reflex so I had to really concentrate to get it down. Not long after, my stomach started seriously cramping up. I tried to settle it down by drinking more water at the remaining water stations, but that just resulted in a belly full of water sloshing around and major cramps. At one point I was scoping out trees in case I had to go throw up, but I just kept moving and somehow made it to the end. Maybe I blacked out for those last couple miles. Who knows...but what I do know, is that I will not be eating Gu ever again.

The finish: The fact that I got through all that, still smiling and standing at the end, gives me full confidence that I can rock this half-marathon in 3 weeks. Also the race course will be less hilly, I hear, which I am thrilled about. I still have no expectations for pace really (yesterday's pace was all over the place between 9:40-11:40 minute miles), I just want to cross the finish line still standing!

(Yes, yes it was.)

[lovenhonor-blog]

I survived the solo 12-miler

...and all I got was this lousy T-shirt. Actually, I didn't even get a shirt.

We spent this past weekend in Knoxville for one of hubby's interviews, which meant I had to do my long run by myself instead of with BRC. Since joining run camp, I've avoided running by myself at all costs. I just get So. Bored. I had been dreading this solo run all week long, fully anticipating only getting to about mile 6 before losing my sanity and calling it quits. I even told Luke to keep his cell phone nearby in case I needed to have him come pick me up.

Luke woke up around 6:30am for an early breakfast business meeting, so I rolled out of bed shortly after and decided it was now or never. It was still pretty chilly out (40-something)...far from the "72 and sunny" that was forecast as the high temp that day. Luckily I packed some long sleeve layers in addition to my shorts and tank that I was so looking forward to sporting for the first time this year. Breakfast consisted of a $10 piece of toast and banana, courtesy of Marriott room service (absurd), and off I went!

    (Tennessee River in the morning)

I found my way down to the Tennessee River, where there is a beautifully paved trail called "The Greenway" that follows the river and weaves in and out of some wooded areas and the downtown area. I was immediately captivated by the beauty and had to try really hard to resist my innate Asian tendency to stop and take photos of everything.

       (Cherry blossoms in full bloom - so pretty!)

Before I knew it, almost 5 miles had passed and I was still loving the new scenery. I continued uphill near the University of Tennessee campus before my turn around point, and by then the sun was out and it was finally warm enough to shed layers down to the tank top. There were many more runners and bikers out, and as we passed we gave the typical "Hi. I would verbally say hi, but I'm out of breath and I know you are too, have a nice run." wave and/or nod.

Around mile 9, I stumbled upon about 8,000 people doing the Color Me Rad 5k. I was running against the course/upstream, but I stayed on my path and they were on the street, so all was good. It was pretty amusing to see giant hot pink clouds in the sky, and everyone seemed to be having a fantastic time. Some friends and I just decided a couple weeks ago to sign up for the Grand Rapids Color Me Rad race, so it was a nice little preview of what to expect here in May!

            (Color Me Rad 5k, Knoxville)

By mile 11 I was officially tired, bored and ready to be done, and the Greenway path had dead ended, so I had to get creative and make up the extra mile. I turned the corner around our hotel to finish mile 12, and discovered the finish line of the Color Me Rad race. Rather fitting!

                (You can barely tell from how washed out the background is, but that is a giant cloud of pink powder in the intersection behind me.)

I am still somewhat shocked that I was able to finish 12 miles alone...and better yet even enjoy it. I'll admit it wasn't 12 miles of nonstop running, I stopped a handful of times to snap photos - as you can obviously tell.

My long-run recovery consisted of eating and sightseeing my way through Knoxville. We visited a bit with my little brother and his girlfriend who live just outside the city, and spent as much time as possible out on patios and in the fresh air. I even got a little pink sunburn! All in all, it was a fantastic run to kick off a fantastic few days in the South.

(Hubby and I in Market Square, downtown Knoxville, TN)