Couch to ATHLETE!

I totally forgot to blog last week! I also forgot to exercise, or something like that. I spent a week in Chicago playing with the kiddos, baking, finishing gifts, going to party after party; in general having a fantastic time with my family. I woke up several mornings with my pup convinced I was going to run and the minute I would step on the back porch, to the tune of -10 degree windchill and a very slippery ground, I would rush inside and wrap up under a blanket! Well, because I'm running the Niagara Falls Women's half marathon in June with my best buddy and company, I need to buck up and go out when it is cold! I love running in the cold, so what possibly is the problem? Well, here is the problem. I took the last six months off from intense training. You see, this year has been challenging yet FANTASTIC, both physically and mentally. I also gained six pounds since Thanksgiving. YIKES!!! So now is the time to get back into it! I will set my goals and probably blog

I was sick recently. Sick enough to think I needed to go to the hospital. Was the trip to the ER necessary? Well, that is debatable depending on who you talk to, but I stand by that trip (my pocketbook might not, but I still haven't gotten that bill). I walked into the hospital crying and miserable. After a 5 hour stay and a bag of fluids, I left laughing; well not heartily, but still chuckling about things.  Recently I have been running no more than 3 miles at a time, and then yesterday that changed. I went out for an unintended 4 miler. The schedule said 2 miles, my friend and I decided to go for 3 and then somewhere during the run we decided to do 4. I am so grateful we did the 4 but I realized during that run that water is necessary. I was parched while trying to make it up the effing hill! This morning I was cleaning up from a small dinner party I hosted yesterday that involved prime rib, cookie decorating and snow globes. While in the middle of loading my dishwasher w

If you ask my friends what I have been talking about this week, they will tell you I have been obsessing about this message I saw on the Angry Jogger's blog. He posted a video, featuring Kevin Smith about life. I am not going to embed the video on my blog because the language in the video is potentially offensive, but if you want to watch it, you can find it here . I got a sewing machine last week, and since I have gotten that machine I have received a million questions as to why I got a sewing machine. I really don't have an answer except it was there with this glow around it, screaming, I know you want me!!! Well, I got it and I made a night gown. There are several more projects to come! Last winter, around this time I decided to do the half ironman. I blogged about people's reaction to my announcement of doing that race, and I was frequently met with the big question, WHY? I never really had a good answer except for, why not? Well after watching this video this w

I don't have much to say today, so here are some random thoughts: I'm Full I haven't worked out in a week and I'm feeling it, after all this week included some pretty awesome meals and delicious treats. Think big chocolate cake, pumpkin pie, cheesecake, brussel sprouts, turkey, stuffing, corn casserole, etc. I'm feeling sluggish and tired today and I'm hoping this isn't an indication of how the entire holiday season will feel.  I'm very thankful I have a little 10k on my schedule in the next week. I haven't run 6 miles in a single run for quite some time. As a matter of fact, I think the last time I hit six miles was when Sue and I had a fluke of a run and ended up with 9 miles because we both felt good. Those are the runs the fill me up! The Goals I refuse to let my athleticism rule my life again. It is just a hobby that I enjoy and want to continue to enjoy. However, I have decided that my schedule needs a triathlon in 2014.

I have a bit of insomnia AND my buddy has no concept of time. When Dukie has to go out, he has to go out!!! So, this morning, I crawled out of bed and danced outside in my PJs begging Dukie to hurry up so we could get back into the warmth. We got inside and then it occurred to me; it is Thanksgiving morning!!! YIPPEE!!! Turkey and Brussel Sprouts and Stuffing, OH MY!!!!!!! I get way more excited on Thanksgiving than I do on any other holiday. You see, this is my favorite holiday, and here is why... It isn't about gifts and galore, but instead about sharing a ridiculously large and DELIGHTFULLY DELICIOUS meal with your family and friends. So, what am I thankful for you may ask? I think I have been pretty clear on my blog over the past several months, but here is a quick run down: My Family - Always appropriately entertaining and overly involved at all the right times. My Friends - This year hasn't been easy but man do I have some solid people in my life. Special shou

Whoa, I swear I only had one glass of wine. Have you ever had to say that because suddenly you were off balance and couldn't seem to stand up straight? I know I have, on several occasions actually. In life, there are moments where things may seem off balance. There are some theories that include a triangle, each point, or side, of the triangle represents something in life. I honestly don't recall, at all, what those points include but some theorists (if I'm remembering correctly) say that we are all striving for balance but one of the sides of the triangle will always be a little shorter than the other. I'm always seeking balance, even in my athleticism, which is likely why I gravitated to triathlons in the very beginning. It gave me something different to work on every day and taught me that by working on every sport, your race would be better. Now let's take racing out the the equation. Yes, I love the start line of a race, and even more I love the finish l

Dukie, not to be confused with dookie, is my dog. He isn't just a dog, but rather the best dog! When Dukie took over my world we ended up being fast friends. He was here for less than two weeks when a terrible storm rolled through town and Dukie was in my bed, laying right on top of me in seconds flat after the clap of the loudest thunder. I laid there and pet him as he was shivering in fear and I knew he found the right home. After that night Dukie got comfortable taking over my bed and life and, now, literally follows me around the house from the moment I wake up, until I go to bed. He is a tripping hazard, but one I would NEVER trade. He makes me happy and loves me in a way that no human could ever love another person. I should mention how Dukie came to be with me. Dukie was my nephews' dog and when my sister's family moved to the United Arab Emirates, Dukie needed a new home. I could not have this guy go to a stranger and so he moved 1,300 miles to his retirement h

I am kind of a needy person. Ask the people I am closest with and you will hear that I text incessantly, call a lot and have lots of opinions. I hope that they would also say that I listen well, treat them with respect and love them unconditionally. I think I do, and I had to have learned that from someone. Right? Yep, my dad... Growing up, my dad was always around. He is the guy who always told me the truth, even when it hurt. Case in point... When I was young, maybe five or six, I walked down to the basement of the house, where my dad was slaving away making me my Christmas present. I had heard rumors that Santa Clause didn't exist but I didn't want to believe it. Being the youngest child has its disadvantages. Anyway, he was building a doll house for me... I asked him if Santa Clause was real, to which he replied with a very careful no. I cried... Fast forward twenty some odd years, I called my dad just to chit chat, and the call swiftly turned into finances, he is an

The past couple of weekends, I have had the honor/pleasure of helping a friend with a pretty big house project... I'm not going to go into details but like any house project,  the endless trips to Home Depot, the staring at the project, the researching and the labor are tiring, but 100% pleasurable when you can laugh along the way!!! So, who cares, right? Well, I have officially decided that housework is a workout. I used to think it was lame when people would use cleaning their house for weight watchers exercise points. Here is the thing, if it is out of your normal routine, those simple tasks really can be a workout. So, here I am, week 2 of this awesome project... And knowing there will be more in the future, I am ecstatic about the benefits I have reaped as a result of this project. Here are the details of my life... Over the past several weeks, I quickly gained 17 pounds because I was sick and had to take some medicine that contributed to that weight gain. You know what

Welcome to the first edition of Thankful Thursday. I would like to first address all of you folks who think I am being thankful ONLY because it is November, and well, what do you do in November? Be thankful. Well I can tell you that is not the case. I am thankful every day I wake up, every day I take my first step in the morning because it means I am alive!!! I am thankful every day, the thing is, I don't tell people every day. I do believe I am fairly good at letting people know that I am thankful for them. If you haven't felt the love from me recently, well tell me. Furthermore, after discussing this with friends the other night, I can tell you that I love that people are blowing up facebook and other social media sources with their thankful posts daily, simply because I know people are thankful but don't always take the time to express their thanks. What I would say is this... I challenge you to continue your thankful posts and continue to tell people you are thankful

For the month of November I am going to do, what I am calling, a 'Thankful Thursday' post. That means you can watch for two posts a week from me, for this month only. After all, I'm so tired right now, that I literally have no energy to do anything but tell you I am creating more work for myself for the remainder of the month? Okay, that doesn't make much sense, but it is the least I can do to express my gratitude for everything that swirls around me on a daily basis. To kick this off for the month, I'll start with a thankful post about my weekend... Yep, you heard me right, I am thankful for my weekend that included painting, raking, sanding, shopping, running, laundry, sandwiches, diet coke and rededicating myself to begin the process of giving up one of my vices. And now I'm tired and am for once going to keep this short. Here is a song that I found myself singing while thinking about 'Thankful Thursday'. My favorite lyrics: How about me enjo

Have you ever had eye problems? My dad is blind without his glasses. With his glasses he can see well enough to have a 'normal' sighted life. I'd say he is pretty lucky. I used to have debates with people about which sense I would be most willing to give up. I feel like I have mostly swayed on the side of willing to give up my eye sight prior to my hearing. Not sure how I feel about this today. This weekend, while having lunch with my mom, I noticed a table of individuals sitting across the restaurant who all appeared to be deaf. I was then intrigued with the idea that perhaps not being able to hear would be better. I mean, with the loss of hearing, you can still carry on conversations with your friends who know sign language. All of this has made me think more in depth about Helen Keller. What an experience she must have had; no sight or hearing. She never had the option of the hypothetical/philosophical debate that I have so often dragged people through.  Than

Is it possible to have the best and worst time all at the same time? I am here to tell you it is... This summer has been a challenge. I received information that has changed how I think about things and has explained why my athletic goals have been more challenging to achieve. I allowed it to get me down for a short period of time but during that time I also learned a heck of a lot about myself and my relationships. I can often be heard talking about the fact that I am a relationship person, after all I have also been heard stating that I should change the name of my blog to the social athlete. But what I have realized in all of this is that relationships are a priority it my life, and those relationships are what have made this shitty summer the BEST summer of my life. As I was learning how to deal with this new information, I have been blessed with the growth and development of some new and existing friendships. I have literally had the best time of my life this summer and know

It is no secret, for those who know me, that I have been furloughed for the last few of weeks. There was nothing I could do about the situation other than watch the news so rather than sit around contemplating the furlough I turned it into a time to get stuff done. The list of activities includes: 5 Doctor appointments Several runs 2 Illinois State Parks 2 Bushels of apples = 12 jars blueberry applesauce, 5 quarts apple pie filling, a few dozen jars applesauce 14 hours of volunteering for the Chicago Marathon 2 Shopping trips for work clothes (anticipating a return to that place) Washed floors New vent covers 9 Hats made The start of an afghan A 7 year old's swim meet Visit to a store that has a tag line: It's not just a store, it's an adventure Hanging out with my buddy from DC A ton of TV (next time this happens, I really hope it isn't premier week again...) Two bike rides A trip to the dump Two days of being sick Won 160 dollars Some quality ti

But I didn't... This is what I did instead!!! Our stack of cups! This post is not to diminish what marathoners do... If anyone knows what it takes to run a marathon, I can tell you I am an expert. Well sort of. Being a slow marathoner, I can tell you the six plus hours I spent on my feet running my first marathon (I'm still saying first, meaning there must be another in me) was no easy feat. Two years ago I ran Columbus and I still felt the need to be part of another race even though I am in no shape to run one these days, nor do I want to. What I did instead is got suckered into about 14 hours of volunteering at the Chicago Marathon Expo and at a water station during the race. My good friend Ericc (who volunteered over 30 hours this weekend in support of the Chicago Marathon) called me up and asked me if I was going to be in town this weekend. I didn't have plans of it but when he told me he was volunteering and told me I should too, I quickly signed up. Janell

When at a loss for what to blog about, a story presents itself... I am going to start taking pictures of the ice cream treats I indulge in on Sundays. I mean I chronicle the rest of my athletic life so why not also chronicle the treats I get to eat because of the exercise I do? No seriously, one of my favorite days of the week is Sunday. I wake up, lay in bed until 8:00 (of course after Dukie goes out), I go for a bike ride, eat some weird lunch and then get ice cream. That basically sums up most of my Sundays.  Today was no different, I headed over to my friend's house to pick her up for our weekly bike ride and noticed I had a flat tire on my bike. We drove to the trail head, changed my tube and off we went for one of the most beautiful rides we have gone on (in my opinion). When we got to the turn around point, I noticed I had a flat again. I think these tires have a conspiracy against me!!!!!! Anyway, changed the tube again and quickly realized that the rest of this

If we are always striving for a finish line do we take the time to enjoy today for what it is worth? Think about it! Life is better with Dukie! This week I did not exercise at all, and to be honest I really don't care and here is why... On Tuesday I saw my favorite musician play here in Columbus. My friends and I headed to Michael Franti on Tuesday and of course he did not disappoint. He engaged the audience in his typical fashion by performing out in the crowd so as to involve us in the joy he has for the music and the fans. He told stories of love and friendship, kindness and caring. He sang about sunshine and roses, love and loss, war and peace. One of my friends put it best when she said "Michael Franti blew my head off with love." You see, I can often be heard saying that life is not about money or cars, belongings or hate but instead about love and relationships. Regardless of whether you are single or attached, with child or not, every person who you all

I love having a riding buddy who can spend long Sundays exploring the state with me. Since we started riding together Sue and I have covered over 290 miles on the following trails: Kokosing Gap Trail Tri-County Triangle Trail Alum Creek Trail  a couple of times Part of the Little Miami Scenic Trail Richland B&O Trail Not only have we logged all of these miles, we have seen deer and trains, cool bridges and art, we have fallen and gotten lost, ridden further than we planned and shorter distances just to try a new trail, there have been dead animals and side trips for lunches and most importantly hearty laughter and even some tears. Cycling has basically allowed me to get exercise, see new parts of the state and spend some quality/peaceful time with my friend. And there are a hundreds of more miles in our future... All of that is a great reminder that I have an awesome friend who I get to share awesome experiences with, but that isn't what I really wanted to proce

Everyone has secrets, some more than others. Last week I was writing and I found myself referring to various human ailments as pimples. So... now I like to refer to my big life secret(s) as a pimple. Not just any pimple, but the pimple that is under the surface of the skin that no one would even notice if I didn't point it out. Well, last week I had the whole introvert/extrovert conversation and knowing that I am an extrovert, people know I have few secrets and with a select couple no secrets. I fail when I try to keep secrets from my closest friends. Here's the thing... As an athlete people don't know what your journey entails unless you tell them. Some people have had weight loss struggles or work out to escape. Other people (me) workout as a social event, or as a hobby. Other people run to fight cancer or because the disease they have might make it impossible several years down the road. Basically, we all have pimples that are under the surface just waiting to appear

Ever have a moment when your over-sharing gets you into an extremely uncomfortable situation? I bet you introverts out there can't say you have had too many of those moments. Well, then there is me, the eternal extrovert. I get myself into pickles frequently. Often times I find myself apologizing for things that come out of my mouth because I strike this fine balance of appropriate/inappropriate. When I don't share though, I find myself over thinking everything!!! So the most recent time I got myself into a bind with my over sharing (oh did I mention this moment was extremely uncomfortable), I got in my car to hear some lyrics from my new favorite Macklemore. "Underneath this fragile frame, Lives a battle between pride and shame." I couldn't help but reflect back upon that uncomfortable, extroverted fed conversation, or over share when I heard those lyrics. Let me put this all into context (it will get back to the couch or athlete at the end, I promise)...