running

It has been a while…

Oh the joys of moving and not having Internet.  I am long past due for posting something other than a picture.  I do apologize, for I have been busy adventuring into the lands of cohabitation. 

Yes, the man and I have decided to live in sin full-time and share an address.  Now the party can rage on 24/7!  And by party, I mean catching “Jeopardy” every night at 7:30, me going to bed by 9:30, and adventures in new recipes together.  We are a pretty innocent bunch.

I am happy to report, though, that 3 weeks into it, things are sailing along as well as they ever have.  Granted it is only 3 weeks, but if you can survive a move together, that is a pretty good sign.

 

Another big step for us was surviving our first golf game together! If you are a talented golfer, or date someone who is, then you know how stressful it can be to not have golfed for 7 years and take to the course with one of these people. 

Now, I don’t take criticism well, and the man seems to do everything well, including golf, so I had to send up a warning flare before we even loaded our clubs into the car that the only way to maintain his livelihood through the 9th hole would be to keep tips and pointers to himself.  This message was delivered in a much more charming manner than it reads though, I assure you.

I say all these things like we were moving and golfing while teetering on the edge of nuclear melt-down, but it is quite the opposite actually.  It is great when you are a laid back person to be with a laid back person, and it really takes a lot to shake both of us.  BUT, on the other end of that, I have seen, and been a part of these situations when they do not go so well.  Things from moving to golfing can destroy a couple!  If you can survive the little things like golf games all the way to the major stressors like moving, you’ve got a good partner in crime.  I am very blessed to have mine, especially since he is willing to take me golfing any time I want to go 🙂

Wish me luck!  This weekend I run the Bayshore Half Marathon.  I don’t expect to be PR-ing in this race since my training has been less than consistent, but it should be a good time.  I will update you all on how it goes!

Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Yep, I've been there.

Paul and me in another 3 weeks.  😉

Some words of wisdom can be skipped

Yesterday, I had the unfortunate pleasure of going to the doctor’s office for a basic check-up and to get my allergy/asthma meds refilled.  I have year-round allergies, and am allergic to everything found in nature, animals and plants included, which really sucks for an outdoorsy, animal lover such as myself.  My asthma, while not exercising, is always set off by my allergies (just let me hang out at your house if you have a cat for while without my inhaler… I do an epic Darth Vader impression).

When the doctor asks me how everything is going and how my asthma is, I tell him the usual; I always use my inhaler before I workout and run, and generally right before I go to bed. This is always when the writing stops and he peers up at me over the rim of his glasses.  “If we look back at your test results,” he says, “you responded the strongest to Maple trees, mold, dogs, cats, and grass.  You have pets don’t you?”, I proudly respond with, “yes, a cat and a dog.”  I always stand firm on this, I have already broken up with 2 allergists for telling me to get rid of my cat…at the second one I replied with, “Sure, lady, kill your second born”…I don’t think so.  But my primary doctor knows to tread lightly on certain subjects; my weight and my pets in relation to my allergies/asthma.

He continues to educate me though. “Where most people with allergic reactions show a level of 60 or below, your levels are clear above 1500, so… you are pretty allergic”.  Levels of what, I am not sure, but I am smart enough to do the math in my head and realize quickly that 1500 is a heck of a lot higher than 60 (gotta love college).

“Do your pets sleep in your room or on your bed?”  I get a quick image in my head of me, sleeping diagonally across my bed, clutching what little covers I can out from under my 70 lb dog, who always wants to sleep right where my body needs to go.  Meanwhile, my cat not only sleeps with me, but across my neck, resting her chin in my eye-socket. 

“Sometimes,” I reply, not being proud enough of this explain to him my nightly ritual. 

“You might want to start shutting your bedroom door, even during the day, to keep them out of there.  It will really help.  What type of pillow do you use?”

Do I explain to him that, at 27, I sleep on a monkey pillow pet?  I am trying to formulate the argument in my head that it is SO soft and supportive, and he’s a monkey!  Thankfully he cuts off my train of thought of searching for an answer to give him, “Is it a down pillow?”…”No?”, said with no conviction….”It probably isn’t, down pillows are about $100.  You probably haven’t spent $100 on a pillow recently.”  Oh great… being poor is now a diagnosable, medical condition.  “I would recommend you get a hypo-allergetic pillow, that will help too.”

“Do they make a hypo-allergetic pillow pet?” I want to ask, but I don’t.  I know how to pick my battles.

20 minutes later, and loads of sound, adult, doctor recommended advice later, I headed home, where I dove head first into my pillow pet and proceeded to nap for an hour, cat on my head, dog at my feet.  Some sacrifices are just so worth it 🙂

Greetings! How may I help you?

Watch Your Step

I have never pretended to be graceful, and I always have the amazing super-power of proving why; I fall all the time.  I walk into walls, I spill things, I will trip on things that aren’t there, I have just been blessed that way.

Today while enjoying a run with one of my dear, dear friends and her 3 little girls, I managed to catch my foot on, and proceed to trip over, a slight crack in the sidewalk.  This happened 2 minutes into our run after I had made the joke that I should borrow one of the girls’ helmets because, back to the first point, I am not graceful. And sure enough I just bit it!  It wasn’t even a clean fall, it was one of those tripping, trying to catch myself for a good 6 feet, but still failing, trip.  Scraped hands and all, I picked myself up and kept going, laughing at myself along with a 12, 10, and 5 year old. 

About a mile later, the best part of my day happened when Bailey, the 5-year-old, called back to me from ahead, “Stephanie, there is a crack in the sidewalk up here, so don’t hurt yourself!”… perfect execution, and straight from the heart.

I am usually against running with people, but lately, I need it.  The option to stop is not as readily available as it is when you are by yourself, and having someone to talk to or just give you a boost, or for you to give them a boost, makes runs go by so much faster.  I didn’t realize how badly I was in need of a training buddy until today, especially one as awesome as this friend, who comes with a cheering section of 3.

Falling aside, it was a great run, and I have found my excitement for training once more!  Running is the most love-hate, turbulent relationship I have in my life.  A great run makes me feel on top of the world.  A bad run can make me feel like my life is falling apart and I can do nothing right.  It almost sounds like an abusive relationship because when it is good it’s great, when it’s bad it is the worst.  You can call me a bipolar runner; my highs are so high and my lows are so low.

But, I have found the magic ingredient that should help: a devoted running partner.  I am lucky in the fact that I love her to death, we laugh together, she is great at giving advice, and we run about the same pace.  She is perfect for me!

So onward my running partner and I shall go, tripping and all, to our half-marathons coming next month.  Hopefully her kids will be there to look out for me along the way.

So True!