wellness initiatives

It sure isn't pretty. It's an old, seldom used room. It's in the basement of my office building. There is an overhead projector, for crying out loud. But, it's got a sound system, a projector, and a dvd player. Therefore it's my gym every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings.

In the past few months at my job, we've had a few changes. One of those is adding support staff (that's me - Student Ministry Team Coordinator) to our staff teams. I chose to be on the Staff Life Team. What does that mean? I'll tell you this, it's far more than a party planning committee. Within the SLT, we have divided into smaller sub-groups. I am a part of the Wellness Team. We focus on the environmental, physical, spiritual, and social wellness of our 50+ person staff.

I bet you can't guess what my specific focus is... Yeah, I run point for the physical wellness aspect. You're shocked, right?! :) In that vein, I started a few initiatives for my coworkers. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, we have a walking group. We leave our desks for about half an hour to get outside and move around. Nothing too intense, just 2mi or so. Enough to get the blood pumping.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays we get together for a T25 DVD workout. As Shaun T says, it's only 25min...who doesn't have 25min for a full body workout?! Consistently, we've had 4-5 of us show up. Many have said they wouldn't do it alone, but knowing there are people waiting on them pushes them to make it in the morning. I'm so grateful that people come, too. I am not a morning person (how many times have I tried to be a morning runner, only to have it last about 3 weeks at the most?) but knowing that I need to have the DVD ready to go at 8am gets me up and out the door.

I love that I have a place to work that cares about the whole person and that encourages us to continue to develop these initiatives. It is such a blessing. Here's to continuing to foster a healthy staff environment at GC!

wedding and a half

I talk a lot about my friend, John. We've known each other for about 12yrs. We have run a LOT together, we've shared many good beers/wine, and had lots of laughs. John is one of the most generous, kindest, supportive people I've ever met. But when I first met him, I didn't like him very much. :) It took a while to get to know him, and once I did I knew he'd be a lifelong friend.

Well, a couple of years ago, John met a really great girl named Karla. They were perfect for each other and this past weekend, they got hitched! It was a really fun wedding that totally reflected both of them in all the details. John honored me with the chance to read scripture during the ceremony and it was so fun to be a part of their big day. Below are a few fun pics from Saturday:

This was just before John began dancing a jig while the bagpiper played. Yes, there is video footage.

John and Karla make their own wine. This was just one more detail that reflected who they are. Also, we ran that race together in November. I thought it was so fitting that they sat me at the Feaster Five table. :)

Brenda, Becky, and me

Finally got a chance to snap a picture with the groom at the after-party. Karla can be seen just over John's shoulder. She looked AMAZING.

It was just a short 5.5hrs after I got home from the wedding and after-party that my alarm went off for a cool, rainy Twin Lights Half Marathon! I was exhausted and feeling somewhat dehydrated but looking forward to a long run along the coast. I realized once we got to Gloucester that I had forgotten my watch so I ran totally by feel. I held back a bit on the first half but was feeling strangely great by the time I got to the halfway point and kicked my pace up a notch.

I crossed the finish in 2:06:30, which is my second fastest half time and only 2 minutes off my PR. Just think of what I might have been able to run had I had a good night's rest! One of these days I hope to break the 2hr mark in a half...first I might have to stop training for marathons!

My half marathon buddy and small group leader, Mike and me at the starting line.

the last three months

It's so cliche - but time seems to speed up as we get older. I have no clue how the last three months slipped by but here we are, approaching May!

It was a long, cold winter here in the Northeast and while we did have snow on April 16th (seriously.), I believe spring has finally taken hold. Lots of flowers sprouting up, buds on the trees, and sunshine-y days.  I spent a lot of the last three months running about 1-2 days a week, and doing Insanity or T25 3-4 days a week. Even with that little bit of running, I ran a PR at the Hyannis Half Marathon (one I was not even expecting to run but did so at the last minute). My new time-to-beat is 2:04:19. Wahoo!!

This weekend I have another half marathon, this one is the Twin Lights Half Marathon in Gloucester. A few others from my Life Community group from church are doing this one with me, I'm very excited! I'm not expecting to run a PR, but it should be a great day and a beautiful course!

In two and a half weeks time, I have marathon number 6...whoa. Writing that, it just got way too real... A week or so ago, John and I went up to check out the course. Parking at the finish we ran the course backwards - he went out 10mi, I went out 7mi. It was cold and windy, but at least I know what the end of the marathon will look like, I know that'll help at the end - when I think I might die.

This past Monday was the Boston Marathon. You're sure to have read on some media outlet or another that it was a glorious day and went incredibly smoothly. I will admit that while watching coverage, I shed more than a couple tears. Tears of joy, sadness, remembrance, celebration, especially when Meb won the men's race. It seemed incredibly fitting somehow, that an American won this year.

I was out on a long run of my own that day, the last one before Maine Coast. Even though it was in the low 60's when I went out the door, I still wore my long-sleeved Boston Marathon shirt. It felt right.

Well, that's caught you up on life, training, and upcoming races! I'll try not to let another three months pass before checking in again. ;)

photo a day, round three

It's retreat week at work. That means that this weekend, 240 people are headed off to the north country (New Hampshire) for a weekend of connection - to each other, to their awesome leaders, and to God. It'll be a great weekend, no doubt. But getting ready for it makes for a busy couple of weeks leading up to it. It leaves me satisfyingly tired at the end of the day, like I really did something. All that to say, I totally slacked off on Sunday and Monday in regards to training, but in my defense I had very little (if any) extra time. So I was sufficiently rested after my long run - on the treadmill, ugh - from Saturday to get 6mi in today after work, also on the treadmill.

Oh, yeah. And I'm still doing the pictures...that's what you may have come here looking for. Here they are! January 19-27.

19. Breakfast - homemade granola and Greek yogurt, a break from the usual Shakeology.
20. To Do List - I didn't do my chores that day...in fact, I'm just today doing my laundry.
21. Blue - my busted Asics. I just really like the colors on these so I wear them for T25 and to work at REI.
22. Nice! - Hello, Planet Fitness in Reading. It's a bit nicer, and newer, than the one in Woburn. Membership, transfered.
23. Bedtime - Yeah, I worked all day at REI then ran 12mi on a treadmill. I deserved to go to bed as early as I wanted.
24. My Space - To afford the gear, gym membership, and race fees, I have a job. This is my office.
25. A Taste of Winter - So that's why I've been spending so much time at the gym...
26. Fun Stuff - I found a place that has Kentucky Bourbon Ale on tap. Mmmmm.
27. Something I Bought - I love buying dinner at Whole Foods hot bar. And I don't feel guilty about the expense because I used a gift card. Win/win.

Missed the previous photo-a-day collections? Find the first one here, and the second one here.

spring training

It's time to get serious. I've been just winging it so far with this training cycle but this morning I knew I needed to get some things on paper. Things being my Long Runs. Duh, duh, DUHHHHH! If I don't see it written down, it doesn't really cross my mind (which is why I still have a calendar that I write in). So I took out my planner and penciled in all of my upcoming long runs. I'm not daunted by the mileage yet...but I know the week before an 18miler, I'll begin getting a major case of butterflies. Yes, even after all the years I've been at this, I still get nervous before a long run.

So below, in all it's amateur glory, is my training schedule. From Feb thru May. You'll notice nothing on April 26th, that's the day my good friend John is getting married. I gotta be there for that! What you don't see is a half marathon on the schedule for April 27th. It's the third race on the schedule for this year! I'll tell you more about it another time. I like company on the back half of these longer runs...so pencil it into your calender as well and come join me!

photo a day, round two

After a busy day of running, walking, an unexpected snowstorm, and back to back baby showers, I've finally found time to post the second installment of #fmsphotoaday! Enjoy.

1. Manmade - my Macbook, on which I write most of my blog posts.
2. Looking down - at my shadow while running. It's really hard to take a picture while you're running...
3. Colorful - my favorite running socks. I can't decide if I like the yellow, pink, or green the best.
4. Makes me smile - it's the splash guard in my Nalgene.
5. Three things - I went for a rainy run with a friend this past week. I needed my hat, my vest, and my Nike+ Sportwatch.
6. Black and white - This is hanging up in my room, alongside Chicago's poster and Louisville's poster.
7. Sun - the sun was hiding this day...but it's there behind all those clouds!
8. Tiny - yesterday was a long day and my grande iced vanilla latte felt very tiny (couldn't stretch that to relate to running, except that I've told you before how much I love coffee!).
9. Happy place - Lake Quannapowitt, one of my favorite places to run, watch 4th of July fireworks, watch the sunset. It's definitely a place that makes me very happy.

If you missed the first nine days, check them out here. I realized after I put the photo together that the numbers should be 10-18...but you get the idea.

meg's miles

On Monday morning, Jan 13th, Meg Cross Menzies was struck and killed by a drunk driver while on her morning run. So on Saturday, Jan 18th, the running community will honor her with the miles we run. This hits a little close to home for me, and I'm sure for a lot of you reading this. We are runners. We love to be outside, enjoying whatever weather Mother Nature throws at us. We get anxious about drivers not paying attention. We feel nervous about people texting while driving. We wear ridiculously bright clothing in order to be seen even on the darkest evening. All that, and we cannot prevent the tragic from happening.

I hope you'll join me in running in honor of Meg on Saturday. Whether you run 1mi or 10mi, run them in honor of a woman who died doing what she loved. And if you are a praying person, pray for her husband and the three children she leaves behind. I know that tragedies happen every day, but that does not make even one less tragic.

Find out more about the virtual memorial run and about Meg here and join the Facebook event here.