Weekly Therapy

Weekly Therapy: Take the risk or lose the chance

- Mel

take-the-risk-or-lose-the-chance

Something about this quote hit me in a good spot this week. I’m feeling feisty.

the week:
Was this the longest of the long weeks? Maybe because of the impending time change that made it feel so long? It was long. The end.

weekend:
Half marathon #8 — the Hillbilly Hike in Carlisle, Iowa. I’m ready for a legit Fall run; alas, it’s going to be 70 degrees and I’ll be wearing my #favoriteshorts again.

Perfect bonfire weather at night though, which I have one of those parties waiting for me Saturday night. Sunday, I’m trying out a new brunch place with a friend.

seven things, seven days:
1. Sad about the Indians loss. But it was such a great Series, wasn’t it?
2. I came home Friday to a yard and front porch decorated in Cubs stuff. SOMEONE in this household lost a bet. -_-
3. How to overcome fear… without jumping off a cliff. {via A Daring Adventure}
4. What happens to your body when you stop exercising? {via Peak Fitness}
5. MERP.
6. DON’T RUN ANGRY! Welp. {via NYT}
7. The biggest money mistakes we make by decade {via WSJ}

Weekly Therapy: Hitting the Trails

- Mel

the week:
It felt nice to take a week off from, like, everything. But I got myself some new trail shoes and ready to take on some new adventures this Fall in Iowa.

weekend:
It’s TRAIL RUNNING SEASON!!! And Saturday is To Grandmother’s House We Go (I’m doing 10k distance).

Sunday, our community celebrates Beggar’s Night (or, Trick-or-Treating) and we’re participating in a friendly neighborhood Boos & Booze for the adults traveling around with their kiddos. We seriously picked the perfect neighborhood.

I pre-purchased tickets for Diplo, who is here in Des Moines on Sunday night, but my attendance there depends on how well I can hang this Halloween.

seven things, seven days:
1. THE INDIANS ARE IN THE WORLD SERIES!!!
2. …so are the Cubs, which I am also SUPER excited about! (But… Go Tribe!)
3. Really sad to read about my former derby league’s practice and game space closing. And always a bummer to lose another skating rink. 🙁
4. I signed up for a 100-mile Challenge in November with the Capital Striders. It’s a great idea to get people post-marathon to keep running, especially at this time of year when we all want to hibernate. 😉
5. Being yourself works {via HBR}
6. Not everyone is trying to lose weight – YES! This is one of the most irritating elements of having a gym membership, all the marketing received for weight-loss challenges. DO BETTER. Though this article focuses on the nutrition element, my feeling on this is the same.
7. Great performers make their personal lives a priority {via HBR}

Weekly Therapy: Embrace the Taper!

- Mel

the week:
I’m finally Iowa official and got my new state driver’s license. I need it in this state to register to vote (we don’t have the 30-day deadline as I experienced in previous states, but we can vote early here), and frankly, seven months was long enough to procrastinate. It’s kinda sad to give up my last tie of being a Pennsylvania resident.

weekend:
RACE WEEKEND!!!! I’ll try my best to relax for the next couple days, as I pull together all of my race day preparations, including getting downtown to enjoy a little bit of the Expo. We have another Iowa game tailgate Saturday morning, so trying to also do fun things to ward off any race day nervousness.

seven things, seven days:
1. I’m running another marathon in 2017! — and registration is now open for the Vermont City Marathon. Save $5 on registration with discount code BibRaveDsct17.
2. Meal Planning worked out REALLY WELL for me this week, and the jar salads that I made for lunch kept me full through the remainder of my work day. Definitely making this a weekly habit!
3. Have you heard of Book of the Month? I got my first book — this is my kind of monthly subscription! [referral link] 4. Container Store is opening in West Des Moines. SOON. (all the exclamation points!!!)
5. FedEx does its deliveries at 8am… And when it’s WINE, it’s both hilarious and WTF. He laughed and told me that my breakfast was ready.
6. I really like this running-focused article on sports psychology at work: Train your brain to run your best {via Runner’s World} Thanks, Coach!
7. Training (and staying strong) for a running SEASON. {via Runner’s World}

Weekly Therapy: Set Your Intention and Purpose — with everything you do.

- Mel

the week:
Something WAY important that I skipped in last week’s post — my annual skin cancer screening. I got two more biopsies of moles that have changed. One, a super black flat mark on my abdomen that has some irregular edges; the other, one of the god-awful ugly large brown moles that developed over the last couple years and now has a new dark ridge through it. The latter mole, mostly cosmetic, but everything they take off gets biopsied because of my history.

This is your reminder, 30-somethings (and other-somethings, if you’re here — hi!!!): Schedule your annual skin check!

weekend:
Well, I’m planning on getting my car washed and detailed (finally… only two road trips later) and want to finish the book I’m currently reading. I would also like to find some of my Halloween decorations to put out — because despite the weather being 75, it’s OCTOBER PEOPLE.

I’m also going to attempt some Meal Planning, thanks to some encouragement from Nymph in the Woods.

seven things, seven days:
1. I FINALLY got a massage this week, for the first time this training cycle. I upgraded for the “athlete” package — which included being rubbed down with IcyHot and my legs being draped in hot towels and OMG this might have been the best sports massage ever.
2. The Drake concert in Des Moines was INCREDIBLE. Great show, and I LOVED Future’s set, too.
3. I SWEAR that I woke up to an earthquake on Tuesday (unconfirmed, based on all my internet searching). That said, here’s some interesting science behind why the Midwest has earthquakes. {via Science Mag}
4. I added 4 more races to my fall calendar (sorry, boyfriend! haha)
5. Hillary for President. ✊
6. WINDIANS! #rallytogether
7. What separates Champions apart from “Almost Champions” {via Science of Us}

Weekly Therapy: Pumpkin all the things!

- Mel

the week:
Well, there went September. BYE!

pumpkin spice everything fall october
YAY, FALL!

I’m so excited that Fall weather has arrived, and I spent my week mapping out what races I wanted to do over the next couple months (including staying up late again last night to register for one that frequently sells out). I also spent a considerable amount of time pinning pumpkin recipes. I’m pretty excited about my schedule — varied distances, trail races, another half marathon, AND a fun “adventure” run.

If you missed my news on twitter, I committed to running the Vermont City Marathon in 2017! Online registration opens up on rOctober 10 — save $5 with discount code BibRaveDsct17.

weekend:
I’m off on a little adventure to Omaha. BYE!

seven things, seven days:
1. Kinda bummed out about the membership fee increase for LifeTime (unsure if it’s a global pricing change). I’m reconsidering the ROI — particularly because I utilize the facility for a lot of special events, which cost me even MORE on top of my monthly charge. Ehhhhh, I hate making these kind of decisions.
2. Small win this week: I wore my hair down for an ENTIRE day of work!
3. Now that I’m officially on the payroll, adjusting to not getting paid every week is HARD.
4. 3 Reasons to own your career in 2017 — love this article, particularly the section on “martyrdom” {via INC}
5. The death of the phone call. Also BYE. {via Slate}
6. I had no idea that The Secret of NIMH was based on a real-life research project — how did I spend the bulk of my childhood and adult life not realizing that the NIMH of the movie was the acronym for National Institute of Mental Health?! {via Atlas Obscura}
7. Practice matters… but it doesn’t make perfect. {via New Yorker}

Weekly Therapy: Be YOU tiful

- Mel

the week:
This week went by WAY too quickly and my nerves kind of got the better of me. I had many intentions that fell flat to feeling overwhelmed, and I’ll be using my evening to reset (and using some overtime to catch up with work tomorrow). We’re back up into the 80s again for temperatures (alongside its best friend 90% Humidity), so looks like summer is sticking around to make the rest of my long runs sticky and miserable.

Summer: please see the door, I would like to wear my scarves and coats and boots, kthxbai. And I’m kind of tired of the treadmill.

weekend:
I’m doing 108 sun salutations at LifeTime tomorrow morning, followed by my second short run of the week, working some overtime, and then resting for a LONG, LONELY 12-miler on Sunday.

Among all THAT, I’ll be watching MOAR ROLLER DERBY — Team United from Des Moines is playing in this weekend’s WFTDA playoff tournament in Madison.

seven things, seven days:
1. We checked out Luminarium Arboria this week in downtown Des Moines…
2. And then had dinner at the ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE restaurant: Magnolia Wine Kitchen. The food was excellent, too, with many gluten-free options!
3. What it feels like to be the last generation to remember life before the Internet. Oh, I remember!
4. How do you feel about getting older? Ehhhhh, not so good. {via Pacific Standard}
5. Why people quit their Fitbits — interestingly, no responses mentioned about the equipment constantly breaking requiring three separate replacements. But then again, nobody asked me.
6. I KNEW IT — The 5-second rule debunked (spoiler alert: don’t eat it!) {via NYT}
7. You take the good, you take the bad… And here’s why you ABSOLUTELY must do things you’re really bad at. {via INC}

Weekly Therapy: “You didn’t quit; you learned.”

- Mel

I’ve been completely inspired by podcasts these last few weeks. Today’s title quote comes from Episode 7 of the BibRave Podcast — an incredible interview with Race Director of THE Boston Marathon, Dave McGillivray.

the week:
I’ve felt very harried and scattered all week, despite getting plenty of good sleep and not changing anything in my schedule. My to-do list feels a mile long, and I’m really anxious at getting a lot done this weekend. I don’t know… it’s like nesting or something but without the pregnancy. Maybe because of the changing seasons?

weekend:
Tonight is the members’ preview of the Vivian Maier photography exhibit at the Des Moines Art Center. YOU MUST ATTEND THIS EXHIBIT! It’s open through January 22. We’re also having dinner at Eatery A for the first time. So, I guess we’re having a date night.

The Capital Pursuit 10-Miler is Sunday — I’ve got my race plan and I’m ready to tackle it! #positivethoughts

seven things, seven days:
1. Today is National Run at Work Day — kinda bummed that I found out about it too late to plan something. I participated last year and had a blast!
2. I’m so proud of LifeTime in taking steps to implement a social media policy, restricting use of photos in locker rooms, saunas, and other private areas — and adding: No member may capture another member’s likeness without their consent. YES.
3. That time I went to BibChat and wasn’t wearing pants. ? ? ?
4. Are you recovering properly? {via Appetite for Health}
5. How do you feel about getting older? Well… it’s complicated. {via Pacific Standard}
6. The appeal of Botox — the savior of Resting Bitch Face {via Pacific Standard}
7. Couldn’t miss this article all week — Hint: it’s about SUGAR (Ugh!) {via NYT}

Weekly Therapy: What makes something amazing is the possibility that it could destroy you.

- Mel

I heard this quote on a podcast this week… HOLY SHIT.

the week:
The biggest news of the week — I got the job! The offer officially came over this week and was announced to our department. The congratulations notes from various coworkers really meant so much, and I’m incredibly happy to have been placed on such an amazing team.

weekend:
Tonight is the kick-off party to Go Blog Social conference here in Des Moines. I decided to make a little staycation out of it, and booked myself a one night-stay at Hotel Renovo.

Then after the conference ends on Saturday, I will be attending my first Iowa-Iowa State party (wearing neither of those colors). Somehow I’ll muster enough energy to run 10 miles on Sunday.

seven things, seven days:
1. Do you watch Mistresses? What. The. Fuck.
2. There’s a thing called chuckwagon racing in Iowa — and now I have to see this IRL.
3. Des Moines had an earthquake. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (missed it)
4. WFTDA roller derby playoffs are in progress! Check in on Columbia D1 games here.
5. Learning to Love My Anxiety {via Pacific Standard}
6. IT’S TIME.
7. How to be perfectly unhappy. {courtesy of The Oatmeal — love forever}

Weekly Therapy: 9-02 Oh, hey. It’s September!

- Mel

the week:
LADIES. I went shopping at Target for new underwear because it was time, and I bought 9 pairs — various prints, but staying with the briefs and boy-leg cuts; Target has a new women’s underwear brand (since I shopped last) and bonus: 5 pairs for $20 (don’t remind me that I bought 9 pairs and not 10). NOT ONE SINGLE PAIR fits around my butt cheeks. I spent most of my week picking underwear fabric out of my ass. How is this even my real life right now. NOT ALL SIZE 2s HAVE FLAT BUTTS. #30somethingproblems

But seriously serious: did my butt grow so much after only 6 weeks of half marathon training?

weekend:
THREE DAY WEEKEND — WOOOOOO! Saturday is the Madrid Miler Race (I’m doing the 5-mile distance), Sunday is a recovery day (brunch, probably), and Monday I’m going trail skating with some derby peeps. Super pumped about this weekend!

seven things, seven days:
1. I won a book giveaway on Goodreads! I get so many giveaway notifications from their site that I thought that didn’t happen to real people. FUN!
2. I stayed up until after midnight last night to register for a race. Hashtag, runner problems? But I’m in for the Hitchcock Half in December!
3. We’re booked for the next Rock Boat, and Sixthman announced Dexter Freebish was coming back to the line-up and AHHHHHHHHH I AM SO EXCITE!
4. I’ve been training with my new Aftershokz Trekz Titanium Pink, and I’m really digging the cord-free run lifestyle, you guys.
5. I should find out soon if I got the job that I interviewed for (my current job, nonetheless) – and these are some annoying reasons why runners make good employees. 😉 {via Women’s Running}
6. I don’t put much stock into into the MBTI (it’s all in good fun though, right?), but this article typed me appropriately: How Each Myers-Briggs Type Reacts to Stress {via Psychology Junkie}
7. You have not expired: What we know about aging athletes. {via Pacific Standard}

Weekly Therapy: A post-Olympics haze.

- Mel

the week:
I skipped last week’s update, as I was traveling to Ohio for my grandmother’s memorial service — and basically the biggest family reunion of my life. We also drove to Pittsburgh to spend a little time there (and have margaritas and my favorite burgers!). While in Pittsburgh, my former roller derby league was hosting a 10-year anniversary celebration of its league with an alumni celebration, and I was happy that I went out to be a part of that history.

Oh. This place looks familiar! ?? #lovepgh #roadtrip #timeformargaritas

A photo posted by Mel! (@melliesmel) on

Naturally, I cried a LOT last weekend — returning to Pittsburgh made me miss it a whole lot, while also realizing it would never be the same even if I eventually returned. And then I had a lot of stress at my job (including interviews!), and then my period started five days early (because haaaaaaa OF COURSE!). So I’m trying to find some balance with my emotions again.

weekend:
So much to catch up on at home (I seriously have dead plants all over the place)! But we also plan to take the bikes out on the trails, and then I have another 8-miler. I do plan to have some fun on the golf course on Sunday (after brunch, natch).

seven things, seven days:
1. Catching up with one of my uncles, I found out that he runs 4 miles every morning and is on a 400+ day run streak. It was kind of fun to have someone in my family to geek out over running with (though he is definitely more intrinsically motivated than me).
2. Flew first class for the first time, and now I can’t ever travel another way.
3. I always wondered why cars had heated seats but not cooling seats, and randomly, our rental car in Ohio had COOLING SEATS! They are weird and not at all what I expected.
4. I’m putting races on my 2017 calendar, which means WOOOOO training through winter! (It gets me sincerely so excited.)
5. The Olympics are over, and since I was traveling Sunday night, I missed the closing ceremonies. I also didn’t hear much about them. How were they?
6. So you just won a gold medal… welcome to the rest of your life! {via Washington Post}
7. The myths and realities of doing what you love. {via Lifehacker}