Weekly Therapy

Weekly Therapy: CRAZY PANTS.

- Mel

the week:
Oh, hey! I took the last couple Fridays off from my weekly posts to focus on vacation and honeymooning and stuff. And let me tell you, there was NO time for scheduling posts in advance. I was thankful to have the weekend back after traveling to recover from the boat sways and all. the. laundry. Although I came back to a LOT of change at work, including getting a new manager my first day back, and then the office building catching fire a day later. I didn’t go back to work until Thursday.

This week has just been crazy pants. But at least I got to enjoy some of this beautiful weather Iowa is was having!

weekend:
Tell me how to work a 12-mile training run and a hair appointment into one morning? Because I’m not sure why I did that.

seven things, seven days:
1. Pretty sure that I sleep-shopped on Amazon this week.
2. I also finished the WORST book this week. No thanks to Book of the Month Club for that suggestion.
3. We Anchored Down for TRB XVIII!
4. Oh HEY, roller derby retiree finds running (sounds familiar!) {via Oiselle blog}
5. How to get stuff done after work (when all you want to do is watch TV) {via Elite Daily}
6. How to go Faux Pro (Marathon Edition) {via Running Starfish}
7. Willpower is a myth — and you should stop using it as your scapegoat. {via Nautilus}

Weekly Therapy: I can’t get enough of this kind of love

- Mel

the week:
Well, I shared some big news this week. Kinda overshadows my news of getting a new car. 😉

weekend:
Can you believe that I’ve made it to 7:30am group run THREE Saturdays in a row??? Still not a morning person, but it definitely feels good to get my long runs out of the way and have the entirety of my Saturday free.

I have no horse in the race for tomorrow’s BIG GAME, though we’ll be consuming a bunch of calories with friends.

seven things, seven days:
1. I wore heels (like, actual stiletto dress heels) for the first time in YEARS. Thankfully, sitting for dinner didn’t require much STANDING on them. ?
2. Did you know all seasons of Desperate Housewives is on Hulu? It was one of my favorite shows. I started watching agin from the first season — this series still holds up!
3. I can buy Jeni’s ice cream in Iowa!!!
4. How do you feel about self-help gurus? {via Vox}
5. Why old friends matter – this piece warmed my heart. I have girlfriends that I’ve known since elementary school, and I’m so excited to have them visit me this summer in Iowa! {via Book of Life}
6. How being part of a crowd can change you for the better (what’s up, my Women Marchers?) {via Science of US}
7. COUNTDOWN TO VACATION!!!!!!

Weekly Therapy: What day is it, even?

- Mel

the week:
I’ve had one helluva week. I got really sick last weekend, but felt OK by Monday morning (despite not being able to eat for the duration of Sunday). Tuesday, I left midway through my day with major chills and fever symptoms, and then had to take Wednesday off altogether. I felt SO much better to return again Thursday and complete the week (and my annual performance review), but now I need to make up some work hours over the weekend and try not to lose a lung with these random coughing fits.

And I totally hulked out of a Banana Republic silk cardigan, splitting it from the armpit down the side.

SEE?! One helluva week.

weekend:
Try to get my marathon training started with a couple easy workouts, and thankfully an extra long weekend to get my shit together with the Monday holiday. We’ll be hunkered down and cranking up the heat in anticipation of a major ice storm expecting to hit late Sunday.

seven things, seven days:
How about 7 things I watched when I was home sick this week?
1. Magic Mike XXL
2. Days of Our Lives (lolz)
3. 3 hours of Property Brothers
4. Some kind of donut baking challenge show on the FOOD Network
5. Thelma & Louise
6. Along Came Polly
7. You Got Mail

Weekly Therapy: “Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell”

- Mel

the week:
Man, was it difficult to return to work this week! I felt like I hit a wall every day around 3pm and not even espresso could help me recover.

Seeing as how we’re already a week into the new year, I’m spending some time reflecting on 2016 and the areas in which to focus this year. I also have to write my annual review (due next week, GAH!), which has always been a struggle for me — despite keeping regular notes of my successes throughout the year. I feel like my head is constantly spinning!

Does anyone else have a journal that they keep on them to “brain dump” throughout the week? Mine is mostly a giant book of to-do lists, but I feel crazy if I don’t get the running list out of my head.

weekend:
Still no working treadmill, so I need to decide if I’m bundling up for the great outdoors this weekend or making extra trips to my gym. *groan*

I’m going to love the shit out of my massage on Sunday. And maybe I’ll go to ULTA and spend my Christmas money.

seven things, seven days:
1. Visit two with my stylist this week, and she was able to correct how much red was pulling in my hair. Going back to “natural” from platinum blonde is a process and remind me of this when I want to go lighter again.
2. The Limited is closing. 🙁
3. Some great tips to beat the running blues… if you’ve lost your mojo. {via Mizuno Running}
4. Old habits die hard – how to really change your life in 2017, per Gretchen Rubin {via The Guardian}
5. OMG check out these old runners advertisements from ADIDAS.
6. Have an ultra on your challenge list for 2017? READ THIS >> A Century or Bust: 100-Mile Lessons
7. The Kaizen approach — and how to be 1% better every day {via Medium}

Weekly(ish) Therapy: Happy Holidays, 30-Somethings!

- Mel

keep-calm-and-drink-champagne-231

the week(s):
We celebrated an early holiday last week with a big Christmas dinner and champagne and exchanging of gifts at home. It was nice to get some time to ourselves and have fun with the cats before the chaos of traveling. I was able to visit with most of my family while I was in Ohio for a few days — and greatly enjoyed the extra PTO days.

weekend(s):
CHRISTMAS!

Have a Happy New Year — and I hope there is spiked eggnog or bottles of champagne in your immediate future. 😉

seven things, seven(ish) days:
1. My mom gave us a vintage bowl and drink glasses set to make Tom & Jerry’s. I cannot wait for future holidays to serve these!!!
2. One of our cats had to get a tooth pulled this week. She’s OK but I was a nervous wreck since she was at the vet for almost the entire day. 🙁
3. I never realized until this week how many animals have a sound that is similar to a woman screaming bloody murder. Plenty of youtube videos out there too, if you’re wanting to go down that rabbit hole.
4. An older article but a goodie: The Spiritual Life of the Long Distance Runner
5. Why this guy quit his job to run 59 marathons {via The Muse}
6. Willpower to achieve goals is overhyped, so say psychologists. Re: self-control: “It’s no different than any other decision making.” And looks like the ego depletion theory has been debunked. {via Vox}
7. The impact of running on the brain. NEAT! {via PsyPost}

Weekly Therapy: It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

- Mel

the week:
Is anyone else having a mild freakout over the fact that Christmas is less than 10 days away? Not only is it beginning to LOOK a lot like Christmas, it’s starting to feel like it with the sub-freezing temperatures and snow warnings. Since the Hitchcock half marathon last weekend (and after training for multiple races since July), I’m on a little recovery period from running — likely through Christmas. Though I’m already feeling really antsy about not running, naturally.

weekend:
NOTHING.

I mean, it will include a lot of fleece and hot chocolate and being very near a heating vent, but… with way below negative temps expected, I don’t intend to do much of anything.

seven things, seven days:
1. So there’s a company locally that puts up Christmas lights, and we hired them to decorate our house. It makes me smile with glee every time I pull into my driveway.
2. I lucked out on a one-day sale online and scored a j crew handbag at 40% off (a little xmas gift to myself).
3. Had a wonderful holiday gathering at Alba this week — an excellent restaurant in the East Village.
4. We got an invite to a special preview of the new Star Wars. I got to meet R2D2! I’ve never been to a Star Wars opening night, so that was exciting!
5. Really interesting insight into achieving what’s really important to you: The difference between goals and systems. {via James Clear}
6. When it comes to success, age is just a number. Bottom line: NEVER give up. {via NYT Science}
7. How to run 100 miles. OH, IS THAT ALL. {via Red Bulletin}

Weekly Therapy: Crazy Pants Time (a salute to the hectic holiday season and the need for a little extra warmth)

- Mel

the week:
I completed the Capital Striders 100 miles challenge with 101.7 miles!

weekend:
This morning, I ran another trail race — the Sycamore 8 in Des Moines. Tonight, we’ve got a neighborhood holiday party and another invite to a fellow Rock Boater’s house concert party on Sunday!

I’ll be sure to fit in my 2-hour post-race nap though.

seven things, seven days:
1. Pretty sore for a couple days after running Hitchcock preview last weekend. Next weekend will be interesting!
2. One of my favorite food items on Thanksgiving is a gluten-free cranberry bread that my boyfriend makes. He made me a second loaf to continue my food coma into another week. ?
3. Where my Winter Warriors at?
4. This made me laugh: 18 tips to give a horrible presentation
5. The psychological benefits of endurance running {via Huffington Post}
6. Playing in the NFL at 38 {via NYT}
7. How to feed a runner {via NYT}

Weekly Therapy: Turkey for you, turkey for me.

- Mel

the week:
Thanksgiving! No Turkey Trots for me this year, as we’re hosting some friends that are also staying in town — and my dad decided to fly out to Des Moines to join us! So, I’m on airport and hosting duties (but I did get my morning miles in to offset all those calories). I ended up getting to use PTO for Friday, too, so I have a very short work week!

A photo posted by Mel! (@melliesmel) on

weekend:
My dad is staying through Saturday, so we hope to do a little sight-seeing to show off our new city! On Black Friday, there is a Market Day Iowa pop-up in Capital Square — featuring a bunch of local artists and vendors. Did you take advantage of any Black Friday deals for yourself?

A week off from racing, but I plan to get out for a preview run of the Nature Center in Council Bluffs for my 12-miler this Sunday with a couple of fellow Turkeys.

seven things, seven days:
1. Pumpkin Cranberry Way Better chips season!!!!!!!
2. So thankful for my biweekly chats with my running coach. I was feeling a lot of anxiety about my upcoming trail race, and she helped remind me about the excitement and fun factor of doing a new challenge. I lose sight of that far too often.
3. I took a new cardio-based yoga class this week at my gym… and it was awful. -_-
4. I’ve also had an awful experience with Trunk Club and finally requested a new stylist. I am still not very impressed. I guess that I expected more from a Nordstrom service.
5. This article about psychologists Kahneman & Tversky got me all excited about Michael Lewis’ upcoming new book! {via Vanity Fair}
6. Just in time for Turkey Day: The Psychology of Comfort Food {via Luvo blog}
7. Tis the season to buy your loved ones discounted race registrations!

Weekly Therapy: It will be cold. You will get dirty. And you will get wet.

- Mel

the week:
I had to give a presentation at work this week and if you know me: I HAD TO GIVE A PRESENTATION. This, coming from someone who had to drop public speaking THREE TIMES in college. Every thing about it scared the crap out of me, but I was given the opportunity and wanted to get past The Thing that I typically reject on account of nerves and fear and other silly personality defects and comfort zones. All that aside, I DID IT.

*THUMBS UP EMOJI*

container-store-des-moines-preview-opening-party

weekend:
This weekend is the Living History Farm Race — 7-ish miles of dodging mud and farm animals (yep, farm animals!) and other obstacles. Think of it as a Tough Mudder: Iowa Style. The promise is that it will be cold, dirty, and wet. Everything about that sounds terrible, no?

seven things, seven days:
1. I hit the halfway point of the 100 Striders Miles Challenge for November!
2. Work hosted a thanksgiving potluck – and there was an insane amount of food that I couldn’t eat. ?
3. I finally got out to a group run at Fleet Feet in downtown Des Moines — and it was Saucony demo day!
4. Speaking of Saucony, did you see (or buy?) their RunBox?
5. The Container Store is opening this weekend in West Des Moines, and we went to its fancy preview party. It was so nuts – but completely awesome! Check it out and shop this weekend, as a percentage of proceeds benefit local charity Variety.
6. Why our brains respond differently to Classical music. {via Pacific Standard}
7. What a cool research project — and discovery behind one of Cleveland’s historic landmarks.

Weekly Therapy: 26 Weeks Left in my 30s!

- Mel

What an unfortunate typo when I first typed out this post subject! Does this mean I have officially accepted being 40? LOL So, yeah… Half-Birthdays and Stuff.

happy-half-birthday

the week:
Wooooo, four-day work week (still up by 6am today though)! From last week feeling like it was the longest.week.ever.com to this one being a short (albeit, not-so-fun) one, I’m ready to put some of this sadness (and PMS) behind me, have a little relaxation, and do some good this weekend.

I’m getting a massage this morning and FINALLY have a hair appointment this afternoon. Yep, haven’t had my hair done since February when I lived in Pittsburgh, and this shit on my head is a hot mess.

weekend:
Boyfriend and I are going to our first Iowa Wild hockey game tonight and dinner beforehand at Magnolia.

Saturday, I’m volunteering for the first time with Girls on the Run 5K as a Running Buddy. I’m so excited about this! I was looking to get involved with the organization before I left Pittsburgh, and so happy that I connected in time to participate in the fall race. Can’t wait to meet my Buddy!

And it’s back to Long Run Sundays (at least, for this weekend); I’m joining up with some Turkeys to do some trail running.

seven things, seven days:
1. Put my name in (and credit card info, eeek) for a chance at Chicago – so maybe-possibly, I be running two marathons in 2017?
2. I’m also officially registered for the Illinois Marathon I-Challenge (Half Marathon + 5K) — and running for BibRave!
3. And for your HOLY SHIT IOWA IS NOT COMPLETELY FLAT MOMENT: Check out the elevation/course map for my half marathon in December.
4. Why you can’t help but act your age — this is so fascinating!!! {via Nautilus}
5. Great post about meal plans (spoiler alert: they usually suck!), with some great suggestions on how to transform your meals for the better in small, achievable steps.
6. I feel better. {via Science of US}
7. One of my favorite topics to study in psychology (and focus of my senior research project in my undergrad) — BURNOUT (and how to beat it) {via HBR}