So Excited

These last few weeks have been busy and tiring, but also extremely fun.

I celebrated a birthday! Hellooooo 25! It was a great day followed by a wonderful dinner celebration in NYC. Justines boyfriend planned a surprise dinner for us with about 20 close friends and family there to celebrate and eat delicious food. It was a great treat!

The following weekend I went home to Boston where I celebrated my birthday with Greg. We went to Gloucester where I went on my first ever “long” bike ride. It was only 8 miles, but it was the longest run I’ve ever taken on my road bike. I loved it. I want to bike more ASAP!

Greg is really into road biking, and although I have ZERO desire to ever do anything close to a century ride, I would like to get into longer bikes rides with him. Maybe I’ll cap my rides at 20-25 miles. That seems reasonable to me.

This past weekend I was home in Boston and Greg and I visited with his family who was also in Boston for the weekend. It was fun and we had great weather the entire weekend.

I managed to get a 4 mile run inw hile I was home, but didn’t have time for much more. This week I am going to be increasing my weekday runs. The furthest weekday run Ive done since being in CT for the summer has been 5.5 miles. This week my goal is 7 miles.  I’m slowly but surely getting my milage back up, its just difficult when we have to be at work by 8:30am and we live 45 min away from where we work. ( remember I am working at the private school my sister works at for the summer).

I’m off to go grocery shopping - I know, I know, what a wild Monday night huh? I also have some fun race events/news coming up! Cant wait ti write a post all about it tomorrow!

A Wonderful Weekend

This weekend was fantastic!

Justine, her boyfriend Greg ( yes, we are both dating guys named Greg) headed to VT around 4pm on Friday.

 We arrived at home around 7 after we made a quick stop at Target to get a few essentials for the weekend. We picked up corn hole and a slip -n- slide. Yes, we are classy!

Saturday we hung around the house and did some errands. We went over to Manchester Vt to do some outlet shopping and then headed home to a delicious pulled pork dinner. It was fantastic! We usually make pulled pork in the crock pot, but this time my mom slow roasted it. It was so so good, it will be hard to eat crock pot pulled prok again.


Sunday was the fun day! We had friends from Rutland over, Gregs parents, Gregs sister and her boyfriend, and Justine and her boyfriend as well as my parents and brother. It was a blast. We played corn hole, slip-n-slide, badmitten, and other fun games. We ate tons and tons of great food. My dad roasd a turkey on his new charcoal grill ( a gift from my sister an I for Fathers Day). Everyone had fun, and laughed and ate unil our bellys hurt.

Why the big party you ask? Well, tomorrow is my 25th birthday! The fun of being a twin, its also Justines 25th birthday! Her boyfriend has planned something fun ( dinner I think?...) so I will be sure to fill you in tomorrow! Greg - my boyfriend, is planning on a fun weekend in Gloucester for this coming weekend!

Since I stunk at taking pictures this weekend, I will leave you with some pictures from the 4th of July!

Let's do this

Hey everyone. I took a little time away to rest, relax, and do what I needed to get healthy and full of iron. I am proud to say I am back stronger and happier than I was even a month ago! I have spent the last month going to doc apts and trying to figure out the source of my anemia. So far, there is no one reason for it but I am doing my best to take care of my body and give it al of the iron I can. I'm living down in ct for the summer working until aug 11th. I go home to Boston most weekends and so far have had a wonderful time, I am living with my sister and her boyfriend which is really fun. The big news is that I ran my first race since march yesterday. It was called four on the forth in new Canaan ct. I didn't go into the race with much in the way of expectations. I have definetly been running faster since I have iron in my system now. I am happily running in the 8:40 range so I figured a time goal of 35-36 min would be manageable. It was a smal race so there was no start line of finishers shoot, there were no timing strips on my race bib, or thing to attach to my shoe. I waiting in the road with the other 200-300 people running the race and when the horn blared we were off! There were no mile markers and it was an out and back course. I made the decision not to look at my watch and try to run by feel. It was a nice course, but rolling hills. I actually like rolling hills. I feel I do best on courses that have some hills. I ran by feel and really felt good. I knew I was pushing my pace, but I also had no concept of how far I had gone until I hit the turn around point at 2 miles. I was pushing it and holding my pace until 3.4 miles. At 3.4 miles something happened that I have never had happen before. I threw up. It was quick and pretty painless and I knew it was coming. I threw up on the side of the road and continued on my way. Sorry if this is an over share, but it was such a crazy thing to have happen I thought I would share. I don't think I threw up due to exeersion, I think it was due to my pre-race fuel of a cut up banana mixed with peanut butter. Not my normal pre-race meal, and I don't think it ever will be. The great news is, that even though the race started at 9am, and it was already 73 degrees out, and I threw up, I got a pr! I ran my 4 miles in 31:48. I was thrilled! I am back and feeling great! I can't wait to see what else I can do! I'm headed to vt tomorrow after work, so I'll be back to blogging this weekend. Happy 5th of July everyone. I love the month of July!

Lessons of not running

What I learned about running from NOT running.

You might wonder how I could learn about running while not actually doing any running, but I learned more than I could have ever expected.

*I learned I don’t NEED to run to be happy. 

In the past, I have looked at running as my solitude, my only real way to relieve stress and think things through. I still think that running is a wonderful way to do all of these things, but I also realize that I can get stress relief elsewhere. I can go for a bike ride, a walk, I can read a book. All of these things I used to do when I could run, but I don’t think I ever appreciated that I can sub one of these for a run instead and get basically the same calming results.

*I learned I love running. Yes, I thought I loved running before but just go ahead and take 2 full months off of running and see how you feel. At first I honestly was completely fine that I couldn’t run. I knew my body needed the break and running was feeling pretty horrible at the time so I accepted my non running lifestyle and enjoyed walking, biking, strength training all at a lower level than before. I was fine with this for about 3 weeks while my heart rate still felt crummy and my energy levels were less than impressive. Then I really started to miss running. I was feeling better, my energy was returning and all I wanted to do was run.

My first run back was last week. I ran/walked with Stacy 3 miles.  I was so so happy! I’m sure I looked ridiculous with a goofy smile on my face the whole time, but I truly felt light and happy and so grateful to be able to run again. I love that feeling.

*I learned I needed a break. I think I was pushing myself and putting pressure on myself that eventually lead me to dread running a little bit. I’m not sure if it was my attempted marathon training, my lack of iron, or some combination but I was really hitting the wall hard and should have taken some time off much earlier than I did. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!

*I learned I don’t need to be obsessive about my time, distance, or pace. I got the OK to run last Wednesday and proceeded to go for my first run that day. I didn’t wear my watch, and didn’t care even the slightest bit! I have since gone on a few more runs, nothing more than a few miles but I didn’t wear my watch so I’ll never know. I will start wearing it again as I get back into training, but my watch used to feel like my lifeline when I went for a run and I can now say with confidence that I don’t think my Garmin will hold that much power in the next few months.

*I learned that I don’t run to stay fit or active, I have plenty of other ways to do that, but I run because of how I feel after. Nothing else I have tried in the last 2 months has given me that feeling. The happy, excited feeling that I get when I run, and even when I am done running. I love that feeling and I didn’t realize I missed it until I felt it again.

There you have it, maybe not ALL of the things I learned while not running but definitely some of the most important in my opinion.

Have a great day everyone! I’m headed out for a run soon!

I'll post about this wonderful weekend we just had tomorrow!

Alright Iron, I'm ready when you are.

Hey everyone!
Happy Thursday!! Its beautiful here. The sun is shining, and everything is nice and green since we have had nothing but rain for the past 3 days. I love this time of year.

I was supposed to get my blood taken on Tuesday during my infusion but they decided to give it one more week before they check out my iron situation. I was a little bummed since I had previously decided that once I knew my iron levels I would give myself permission to start running again.  I'm not sure if this is a smart choice, but I thought it sounded like a good plan. I'm hoping my doctors will agree,

Since i have no idea if I can really run yet, I have filled my running void by registering and researching races from June through November.

Lets just say there are some really fun sounding races just waiting for me to sign up for them. They are calling me name and waiting patiently until I hit the "register" button.

Some of these races include:

Stratton Faxton half marathon - June 24th - possibly?

Falmouth road race -Aug 12th ( I registered for the lottery)

Smuttynose Rockfest half marathon -Sept 30th

CHaD  half marathon  - Oct 20th - registered.

Philly Half Marathon - Nov 18th.

I have high hopes for my return to running and I am really excited to see what my body full or iron can accomplish!

Aside from running ( or non-running) news, yesterday was Matts birthday! We celebrated with cake and lots of brownies. It was a success.

I'm heading home tomorrow to celebrate a belated Mothers Day for the weekend. My sister is heading home too and it should be a fun weekend. Its been a while since we were both home at the same time. Its also supposed to be a beautiful weekend up in VT so I'm pretty excited.

Tonight is family dinner and I'll be sure to chat more about that tomorrow.

Also, if anyone has any computer suggestions I am hoping to look this weekend!
Have a wonderful day everyone!

Doggiesitting and much more

Happy Monday everyone!!

A lot has happened since i last posted so I think the best way to go about todays post is in bullet point form to get everyone all caught up. ( yes I like to pretend my life is that fascinating!)

* I got a new Camera! Finally!! Its a Cannon Powershot  ELPH 300 HS. All that stuff after the word powershot doesn't really mean anything to me yet, but Greg assured me this was a good camera and for a great price so I own it now! He should sell cars...
 I haven't played around with the camera too much yet, but i am pretty excited to be able to document fun things in my life again!

* My hard drive crashed on my computer. Sad. This is why there are no pictures yet taken with above mentioned camera. I knew my computer was getting older and its hard its fair share of problems over the past year, but this was the big one!

If anyone has any computer recommendations I will HAPPILY take them!

* We babysat a dog overnight!

Greg and I are going to be dog-sitting for 3 weeks in Aug so the owners wanted us to take the big guy for a night before then just to make sure everyone meshed well together. Well guess what? We did, and I am IN LOVE! The dog is still a puppy, ( he will be 2 in Aug) and is such a happy, entertaining dog. His name is Casper and he is a white lab, roughly the same size as me. I think that having a dog for 3 weeks will be a challenge at times, but I also think it will be so so fun! I can't wait!!

* I discovered that Costco has soft serve ice cream the size of my head for only a dollar and a half! I realize this is not really that important, but I was so excited yesterday after our spending spree at Costco to end the trip with a huge ice cream! Perfect. I love Costco!

* No running....YET! I am going to the doctor tomorrow for my 3rd infusion and for a blood test. Hopefully this will mean my iron levels are UP and i can RUN LIKE THE WIND!! I am only a little bit excited about this concept! :)

* We had wonderful weather this weekend. This lead to lots of time with friends, grilling, and also going to Home Depot to purchase plants, pots, and soil to make our own little garden on the back porch! Hopefully I will soon be talking of basil, mint, green beans, and many other fun and happy herbs and veggies!

I'm off to finish some laundry and get back to work!

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Dr Seuss words of wisdom

I wish I could say I came up with these all on my own, but I didnt. I saw this online and loved it. I thought I would share it for a happy Monday post! Enjoy :)

Lesson 1: Don’t put off a run until tomorrow that you can do today.
How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?


Lesson 2: Your effort, even one mile, never goes unrewarded.
You’re in pretty good shape for the shape you are in.


Lesson 3: When life gets complicated take a deep breath, get out there, and run!
Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.

Lesson 4: Don’t let obstacles get you down, face them head on.
I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!

Lesson 5: If you think today’s run was amazing, wait until you put on your shoes tomorrow. The next adventure is right around the corner.
Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.

Lesson 6: When your brain tells your body to stop, don’t let your feet listen.
And will you succeed? Yes indeed, yes indeed! Ninety-eight and three-quarters percent guaranteed!

Lesson 7: Don’t be intimated by the starting line or your anticipated training mileage.
Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So… get on your way.
Lesson 8: Don’t be afraid of trying something new (a routine, route, race distance, or a new form of cross-training)
If you never did you should. These things are fun and fun is good!

Lesson 9: Running is a solitary sport, and only you can push yourself to the next level.
All alone! Whether you like it or not, alone is something you’ll be quite a lot

Lesson 10: When you hit a roadblock physically or mentally, remember that it happens to every runner.
I’m sorry to say so but, sadly it’s true that bang-ups and hang-ups can happen to you

Lesson 11: When non-runners tell you that your running is crazy, just smile.
I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells.

Lesson 12: Most importantly… never, ever give up on your goals.
If things start happening, don’t worry, don’t stew, just go right along and you’ll start happening too.