Weekly Therapy: Kickoffs and Tryouts and Health and Training

the week:
Well, we made it through the first week of 2016 — and there’s a LOT going on! It finally snowed in Pittsburgh for real, which makes me so happy.

snow Pittsburgh 2016 new year
SNOW! This is the park in my neighborhood and it always looks so lovely in every season — but especially in winter.

I am positively excited and exhausted from my first full week back at roller derby — practices for both my home team AND two nights of tryouts for the travel teams. I was also immediately reminded how expensive this sport is when doing a needs assessment of equipment and such (especially considering that I needed to change my number and needed new scrimmage tanks, armbands, etc.). I got a call-back from the first round, so I have another round next week!

Also, THE BACHELOR STARTED THIS WEEK! The boyfriend and I watched it later in the week, and it’s always a fun source of entertainment and dating roles banter between us.

weekend:
It’s Pittsburgh Marathon Training Kick-off time! Can you believe it’s already here?! I feel like I was just training for the half. My “official” full training starts after Gasparilla, which is at an almost-halfway point of my training cycle. I also renewed my annual membership with Steel City Road Runners, which I hope to use a lot more this season. There is a lot of FUN running madness that happens in conjunction with this kick-off, so maybe I’ll see some of you there. 😀

ALSO, if playing roller derby was ever something you considered, Saturday is the LAST pre-tryout boot camp for joining Steel City Roller Derby in 2016. You need to attend a boot camp in order to try out, so this is a great opportunity to come out and see what we’re looking for and talk to some vets about your skill level, training, gameplay, etc. etc. And it’s especially helpful in meeting some of your Fresh Meat teammates who you will be progressing alongside on this new fun adventure. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

For your resolutions/health: Pittsburgh area Sam’s Clubs will be hosting free health screenings, open to the public, from 11-4pm this Saturday, Jan. 9. These health screenings are free, confidential and available to the public at all Sam’s Club locations with a pharmacy. Additional details on each one will be made available at SamsClub.com. Two of the free tests being offered – blood pressure and blood glucose – are two key markers of overall health. Participants will get an idea of where they stand healthwise, and what they can to do for a healthier 2016.

seven things, seven days:
1. Have you heard of/used Sweat Cosmetics? I learned of this brand over the weekend when watching the GRID league championships. And as someone who wears makeup during workouts (don’t judge!), I need to test these products out!
2. In doing additional research on “workout makeup,” I found FITGLOW BEAUTY. BONUS: they’re a natural beauty brand.
3. Somehow, with all of my current beauty choices, I have taken to shopping Ulta over Sephora. I’m definitely not a VIB anymore!
4. Every day at lunch, I’m eating at least two sticks of PLAIN veggie. Gotta start somewhere, right?
5. For a few years (not last year), I would do a dry January; the boyfriend and I are doing this again — though this year, we didn’t start on January 1 (but the 4th). Basically, it’s a sober 30 days reset. This year is already kind of wonky, so like most things… we’re adapting a bit. The importance of doing this, however, remains. {link via Huffington Post}
6. Oh, hey, fellow Browns fan: The psychological reasons why Fans stand behind perennial losers {via NYT}
7. Here’s your weekly dose of science — appropriately, for keeping your resolutions {via Greatist}