Tag: MLabout

Our Last Day

3 years ago today I had a fabulous daddy-daughter day (we were dorks and really called them that) with my dad, little did I know that a week later he would be taken from me.

I was living in North Texas at the time, 5 months into my first job out of grad school and I was going through a rocky patch. My dad lived 2.5 hours away and wanted to come up for the day to cheer me up. Plus my dad was having gastric bypass surgery that Thursday and I really wanted to see him before then.

Part of the reason I moved to Texas was to be closer to my dad. My parents got divorced my freshmen year of high school and he stayed local, but once I went to college we never lived in the same state. I was in Connecticut and he was in New York or Florida or Texas.

I saw my dad so much in those 5 months we both lived in Texas it was wonderful, some of our best times. I had a lot of ups and downs with my dad, but our last few months were so much fun. He was the funniest person I ever knew. I am just like him in so many ways and I miss him constantly.

That last time we hung out I drove up to Oklahoma so we could go to the casino and play some slot machines. Well on the 20 mile drive to Oklahoma I get pulled over on a Sunday afternoon for doing 77 in a 70. I honestly wasn’t aware of my speed because it was an open road and because my dad and I were singing along to the Aida soundtrack on the top of our lungs. I was so upset about the ticket, but my dad comforted me and made me feel better, he always did. After the casino we came back to my apartment, rearranged furniture, and just hung out. I didn’t want him to leave.

I had a sinking feeling about everything. That was the day he told me he was getting gastric bypass over a lapband. I wasn’t a fan of his decision to have either surgery, particularly not gastric bypass. He was 6’2 and 300-325 pounds MAYBE. He has lost 100 pounds through diet and exercise when I was in highschool and he kept it off for 8 years before quickly gaining it back after he retired. I was disappointed that he was resorting to surgery as a quick fix, a quick fix he didn’t need because he BARELY qualified for the surgery because he wasn’t “that” obese. He had been talking about lap band for 6 months and talked to many doctors, went to consults etc. Then within a week of his surgery his doctor (if you can call him that) talks him into gastric bypass.

I’m already sitting at my desk crying so I’ll wait a bit to write more.

I love you all, life is so short.

Take control of your life now, not only for yourselves, but for your (future) kids too.

iChat

I was just messaging with Smaller-N-Smaller and I brought up iChatting with her. I was curious how many of you are (the far superior) Mac users and would be interested in iChatting?

I’ve group iChatted before with 4 others. Message me if you are interested and with your iChat name. Perhaps Wednesday evening? I’d say tonight, but I have a DATE – OH SNAP!

I don’t think I’ve listed off my tumblr crushes before – it’s interesting to see how things shake out from time to time. One thing I know for sure is that Mr 365 and SlimCity are ALWAYS there and they already know how much I love them. So this week my recommendation is going to LessThan260. She’s made AAAA-MAZING progress, looked beautiful in her Halloween costume and always posts such yummy food that I find myself trying to reach through the computer to try it! Follow her!

To echo Smaller-n-Smaller why don’t you guys live closer to me and seriously when can we all get together and hang out?

Great Night

Last night was FANTASTIC.

I had not been out for drinks with friends for a while (I actually had not had any alcohol for a month in preparation for my race) and had SO MUCH FUN. I somehow organized a big group (a mix of people from my various social groups which was really fun) to go to this downtown wine trail event. We then wound up at a pub and it was just really fun times. The owner of the pub is from New York and so we chatted for a long time. The more I talked to him the more my New York accent came out which my friends found to be funny. 

One of the staff/bouncers at the pub is a cute guy from my gym. Thanks to some liquid courage I introduced myself and we talked for a bit. I don’t THINK I embarrassed myself, we’ll see how it plays out at the gym this week.

I induldged in some “fourth meal” from Taco Bell at 2am. I’m not proud, but I do regret it. I haven’t had Taco Bell since January. I only got 1 crunchwrap supreme – the old me would haven gotten 2. Small victories.

i just stalked YOUR facebook – omg that one of you and the student workers – YOU ARE GORGEOUS WOMAN! GET RID OF ANONYMITY!

I was going to reply to this privately, but it got me thinking about my anonymity and felt it was important to share with everyone.

My current anonymity has nothing to do with not thinking I am pretty or “gorgeous” in the words of Mr. Smooth 365. I do think overall I’m quite easy on the eyes. HOWEVER for me it’s more the CHANCE that people I know in real life (that are non-fitblr and therefore I don’t think can ever understand what we think/talk about) stumble upon this and think: “wow I didn’t realize how fat she really was before” or “I thought she was looking good now, but she still weighs X and that’s fat”

And before I hear it from any of you – I know it’s stupid and counterproductive to think like that, but it’s honest. I’m fighting it.

I do think that after running this second half marathon at the end of the month that I’ll be confident and secure enough not to give a fuck about what anyone else THINKS, because I’ll KNOW that I’m a badass.

Picture This

Soooooo I’m thinking about coming out of the face-less shadows of tumblr.

I don’t even know why I went anon anyway when I started this (that’s a lie I went anon because a bunch of the first people I followed were anon). Plus I didn’t love by body, but that’s funny because that was the part of my I was showing. I’ve always liked my face.

I think I’m going to do it after my half in NoLa.

It seems like a slippery slope first my face then watch I’ll be vlogging or something.

Me and FasterStronger before the race!

Race Day In Review

  • Despite not getting as much sleep as I would have liked on Saturday night I was up and ready to go Sunday.
  • It was COLD on Sunday morning and I debated wearing compression tights instead of compression shorts – but I had never run in the tights before and I didn’t want to try anything new.
  • Get to the park and use the potty before there is a line.
  • Texting with FasterStronger to find out her whereabouts – oh and I’m a creeper and texted her a picture of me since I’m still faceless on here.
  • Drink like a bottle of water because of nerves.
  • Meet up with FasterStronger and her friend. I loved their cute outfits for the race. We drop our stuff at gear check, take our pre race energy gels and make our way to the start.
  • We go to the 11 minute corral – the race starts with the seeded runners who got to wear black bibs, I kinda had to pee, but I ignore it because I know I will sweat it out and the lines are long.
  • The race starts with silver confetti and we pretty much stand still for 2 minutes until out group gets to the front.
  • Right out the gate I feel good, cold, but good. I am a concerns about having to pee already since it’s COLD out. However I really don’t want to lose time stopping so I vow to push through and hope to sweat.
  • After my first mile I see I’m running a sub-10 pace which is exciting, but I also don’t want to over do it so I try to keep myself around the 10 min pace as much as possible.
  • See FasterStronger and have our awesome High 5.
  • While running I see 2 ladies with homemade shirts that say “a DIVA is a female version of a hustler” – I am immediately mad that I didn’t think download that song and put it on my playlist.
  • I spent a lot of the run looking at what everyone was wearing (I’m such a girl). LOTS of pink and black. I see a number of women with iRUNLIKEAGIRL gear on.
  • Like I mentioned I also was in awe of all the women themselves and how different every single one of us were.
  • Around mile 4 I see ladies in line for port-o-pottys, but I decide not to stop despite the fact that I have to go and I’m still not sweating. Plus I just drank a bunch of water with my 2nd energy gel.
  • By mile 6 all I can think about is having to see and decide I MUST stop. I know my pace will pick up if I pee so I try not to stress out about losing time.
  • Finally right before mile 7 I see pottys and only 2 people in line. I pause my Nike+ sensor so I can track my time minus the bathroom break.
  • Get in and out pretty quickly and feel MUCH better, unpause Nike+ sensor.
  • I pick up my pace quite a bit to try and make up for some time and believe it or not after a mile or so I catch up with a few ladies I recognized from the pack I was running with (one girl was running with just a sports bra and had quite an ample bossum [I should have just worn a sports bra – I mean it was all women, who cares] and one girl had a camel back and awesome tights on)
  • Next thing I know it’s mile 10 and I still feel good. Still around a 10 minute pace.
  • Finally like mile 11 I start to sweat – it had been so grey and cloudy all morning. I’m starting to get really tired and notice people starting to pick me off.
  • Mile 12 we get feather boas and tiaras (I opt out of the tiara). I keep telling myself to push through and keep up my “suicide pace.” I muster the strength to run full force and pick off a bunch of people
  • The last mile of the race was not scenic – we ran through like a truck depot/parking lot which was hella awkward.
  • I finally see the finish line in sight. Sadly the crowds were as loud and crazy as I hoped (however throughout the race I enjoyed seeing dad and kids cheering and holding signs for moms).
  • Crossing that finish line was a beautiful thing.
  • I RAN THE WHOLE DAMN THING. I only stopped to pee. No walking, no jogging, all running. I’m pretty much I ran in the 9:15-11:55 min/miles range the whole time.
  • My legs felt STRONG – I remember looking down at my quads as I ran and being impressed with myself – my ankles were a bit mad at me for running the whole time, but they got over it.
  • After the race it was time for medals, champagne, roses, food, pictures, and stretching.
  • Met back up with FasterStronger to recap the race, chat, celebrate and then say out goodbyes.
  • Try to keep moving and walking because once I sit I know it’s going to be hard to get moving.
  • Meet up with my aunt for brunch, head home for a shower and 2 hour nap before my flight back where I slept most of it.

I am so proud of myself. I had a great race. It’s interesting to surround myself with you fitblrs and hear about people running half-marathons, full marathons, ironmans like it’s NORMAL. WE ARE NOT NORMAL. So at first training and even running this half I was like “no big deal” because honestly I forgot doing a half was impressive! I’ve gotten so much love and support from friends, colleagues, students, etc – plus all the fantastic messages I got from you guys (especially when I get loved on my by my “tumblr crushes” – I get so excited). I’m looking forward to my next half on halloween weekend, then after that Triathlon training I’m coming for you!

How did you end up in Alabama from New York?? That’s quite a change!

2 anon messages in one day. I wonder if it’s the same person. Don’t be shy…say hi without being anon. 

I actually came down to Alabama for a summer internship in grad school. I was choosing between Cali, DC and Alabama. Everyone I asked said anywhere, but Alabama. I liked the challenge of going someone out of my comfort zone. I had a chance to come back and work at the same place after school and I couldn’t say no. I lovingly refer to living down here as “studying abroad.” I have enjoyed these past 2.5 years immensely, but my yankee heart is yearning to make a return to the northeast in the not so distant future.