One of my favorite things is a road trip. Being in the heart of the US has offered me the opportunity to visit – ha, LIVE IN – states that sat empty and unloved on my Visited States map. Since moving to Iowa, I have crossed off Minnesota (not where Milwaukee is), Wisconsin (pretty sure this is where Milwaukee is), and Nebraska (I have since traveled there 4x in two years). States where I drove through while “finding myself” (aka running away from all my problems over a decade ago) that I have since revisited: Oklahoma and Missouri. For some reason, me and Illinois can’t break up because I have road-tripped there more than enough for one sane person’s lifetime. Oooh, and I get to cross off South Dakota this fall when I travel for a derby bout.
I once went to a rowdy New Year’s Party in Manhattan, Kansas ten years ago (BH = Before Husband) to celebrate the drunken life in this country’s Little Apple. This was before Uber and all I remember is standing in an auto wash waiting for a cab to return us to our creep motel on the other edge of town. In other words, I’ve got Kansas covered and crossed off.
Adventures are fun. And you don’t know fun until you visit the Puppet Museum in Independence, MO.
So where do you consider the Midwest line to end and the Great Plains border to begin? We can argue for eternity about our Eastern cousins. Hahahaha, GET OUT OHIO. I’m pretty certain that Idaho is not in the Midwest… but is that Great Plains or considered the West? West to me is Arizona and California, and Pacific Northwest is Washington (where I FINALLY visited this past summer).
the week:
Oh, heyyyy! It’s been a few weeks. I finally started introducing runs into my workouts this week, and also getting back into the swing of blogging since my marathon. I also had a wonderful trip back “home” over last weekend to celebrate with family our recent marriage.
weekend:
We’ve got a formal event this weekend (yay, another dress up weekend!) — and I’ve got both roads and trails planned with my Strider & Turkey buddies (yay, 70-degree temperatures!).
seven random thoughts from marathon training:
1. The cliché is true: Put. Glide. EVERYWHERE. And then put it everywhere else.
2. Why does my shoulder joint hurt when I’m running? Probably time to do a running form assessment with someone.
3. I was so used to being hungry ALL THE TIME. I’m eating like half the calories I was a month ago.
4. My weight dipped below 120 pounds for the first time in over a decade… and then my bathroom scale broke, so I have no idea what I currently weigh post-marathon.
5. I broke out in a rash from sunscreen during my 22-mile run. That makes 3 different scenarios of rashes that I experienced in this training cycle… which means I probably have to visit an allergist to figure out what is going on with my immune system (again).
6. Remember that time I got stung by a wasp? Haaaaaa. This marathon cycle really had it all.
7. I still like running! ?
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.
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.
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}
I ran the Gasparilla Ultra Challenge in Tampa last month, and moved only a couple weeks later. I’m finally wrapping up my race experience. Read my recap of Day #1, if you missed it!
Same bib, different day.
Day #2 included a half marathon and an 8k. This would be my 4th half — my last half marathon was in September (when I was training for the Niagara Marathon). I couldn’t find any record of running an 8k race, but I had a couple 5-mile races to compare pace to and plan out my strategy. This experience was no comparison to the day before — my knee felt GREAT using a brace, but I was definitely feeling my body fatigue in the second race and the heat was borderline unbearable. I won’t underestimate it, the last few miles of this Challenge were pretty rough.
Start Line and Course: It wasn’t as cool as Day #1 at the start, but I still wore a long-sleeve throw-away to the start line. We began earlier, and it was SUPER dark for a few miles into the course — at one point we were running on brick or cobblestone roads, and I thought we were all going to trip over one another. It took a while for the course to thin out too.
While the start line and beginning of the course were different than the first day, the end of the course and finish line of the half and 8k were the same. At the start line of the 8k, there were several of us that were randomly clustered together who were running our last race of the challenge. It was a fun group, and it was awesome to commiserate over our experience so far (and our will to finish). Though, the course: same fan groups, same lady shaking her poms, same music guy… I was definitely cranky by the end of the 8k.
I stuck with the 2:15 pacer for the half marathon for a couple miles, until I realized that I was running his race strategy instead of my own. I didn’t feel bad about walking through a water stop and letting them run ahead (it seemed he was skipping water stations every 2-3 miles). I would gain some traction further on in the race. Later in the half — around Mile 10 — I saw the 2:20 pacer pass me and decided that I was going to attempt a PR and knew it was maybe possible to gain a few minutes but STAY AHEAD OF THAT PACER (at the time, I had zero idea what my total time was, as I only watch pace for the current mile on my Garmin watch).
Medals and Swag: Like the previous day, these medals do not disappoint. The half marathon medal and shirt are my favorites.
Bonus: That Ultra Challenge finishers medal is something else. SO HEAVY.
Random Bullshit: Uh, my “bonus” from the day before (the cold towels at the finish) were not available on Day #2. Now that I was used to that perk at this race… that’s some bullshit! It was longer distance on Sunday AND hotter. I just couldn’t understand the reasoning (plus, you know, HOT and I was cranky AF).
Also BS, the volunteers had already packed up the water stop at Mile 4 of the 8k. I was sincerely ready to lose it and stopped dead in my tracks. The water stop ended up somewhere a quarter of a mile later or so, but… WHY?! I was definitely feeling dehydrated.
After Party: We packed up and drove to Sarasota after Sunday’s race activities (thankfully, I had enough time to take a shower before checking out).
Spoiler alert: I FINISHED!
TL;DR The Great: Honestly, summing up my entire Gasparilla experience, this was one of the best-managed races that I’ve ever participated in – especially considering the logistics of some 30k+ runners and four different events over two days. The Good: Both days, I had pacers from Pittsburgh. I met a few others on the course, too, with the same randomness of location. The Bad: One bloody sock, a couple of blisters at the tips of my toes and a bruised toenail. This challenge wrecked my feet. The Ugly: Those last few miles, man. ROUGH.
Some people have asked if I would do this race again. Heck yeah, in a heartbeat. Though, I really wish that I had friends running this one with me. There are definitely other challenges out there that I’d like to add to my trophy room first before going back to Tampa. I learned that I really like challenge/multi-day races, and even though the mileage was split between two days, finishing gave me a little more confidence to pursue a 50k.
RESULTS Half marathon official finish time: 2:17:17 — a new PR!
Sunday Lately is a weekly linkup hosted by the Blogger Tribe (lead by Angelica, Meghan, Nicole, and Katy). Every Sunday morning, the Tribe shares a small glimpse into the last week — and I’m sharing along, too, as part of my “group therapy.” All are welcome, so if you’re a blogger looking for his or her Tribe, click through and join us in the Blogger Tribe Facebook group, and every week we share our thoughts on a rotating theme of prompts. Since I had to schedule this post early because of being away for the weekend, here’s a little of what’s going on in my brain in anticipation of running my first challenge race.
This week’s prompts are: Completing, Visiting, Repeating, Writing, Scheduling.
Completing: Gah! Hopefully I can come back here next week and say that I successfully completed the Gasparilla Ultra Challenge! By the time you’re reading this, I should be finishing up my half marathon, getting ready to line up for the 8K.
Visiting: Florida! While I won’t be doing much in the way of sightseeing (aside from things seen during my courses), I do have a couple recovery days down in Sarasota after the races, which I plan to put to good, relaxing use.
Repeating: Left-right-left-right… One foot in front of the other. These races will be a test to my mental strength, for sure, and more than likely brutalize both my mind and body. I need to dial it down and focus on that one step at a time.
Writing: This post! I’ll be back mid-week with, hopefully, some race day recaps.
Scheduling: Scheduling things like sleep and meals and start times and wake-up times is super stressful when you’re running four different races. There is so much info in my brain, that I can’t focus or remember anything.
the week:
Just trying to stay mentally and physically strong for these races this weekend. I’m doing it all for the bling and the fun – and happy that I’ll have a group of SCRR runners there with me to celebrate.
I plan to post next week all about my recovery, in my recovery week!
weekend:
Without further ado… it’s GASPARILLA WEEKEND! I’m leaving for Florida on Friday morning and the Ultra Challenge races take place on both Saturday and Sunday (early wake up call, like woah, on Sunday morning). I’m nervous about the weather forecast because it’s perfect for being in Florida, but awful for running 30 miles.
seven things, seven days:
1. So, Meb and Shalane are in Tampa this weekend, too, and I can’t spend the $100 to have dinner with them. Harumph. Hoping to catch a glimpse of them at least at the Expo.
2. I seriously *just* got access to the multiple accounts feature in Instagram. IT’S ABOUT TIME! (You feel me, social media marketing peeps?)
3. Are you guys all caught up on The Bachelor yet? Do you have any Top 3 favorites?
4. Those Grammys though. *eye roll*
5. I took my niece and sister to the Aviary to see the baby sloth… but we didn’t see him. 🙁
6. I like the idea of creating/having a “shutdown ritual” but just laying there in the dark for HOURS doing nothing is enough to drive anyone (ahem, me) to madness. I do like this list though: The 7 Step Evening Ritual {via Barking Up the Wrong Tree}
7. Is the triathlon only for the rich? Interesting story about amateur Ironmen paying for elite training. {via NYT}
the week:
My Capstone project has been focused on burnout in organizations (and its relation to organizational culture and motivation), and thank the Applied Psych Gods that this course/project is only 6 weeks long because I’m sure that I would be experiencing burnout myself. I’m on my last couple days of assignments, with my final project presentation Saturday morning. And then, I’m DONE. D-O-N-E.
weekend:
I’m in Toronto for the annual APA convention, and I’m part of its Twitter Team again. If you’re into psychology follow along: @melindaurick and #APA2015
(AAAAAAAHHHHHH. I’M DONE WITH SCHOOL!)
I’m supposed to run Ray’s Race 5K Saturday morning, aka: the Running of the Psychologists as I like to call it. BUT with my final class presentation at 9 am, I’m nervous that I’ll be cutting it too close (and the starting point is a 30-minute walk from where I’m staying). I have 10 miles on my schedule for my long run on Sunday, so at least I’ll have that relaxing way to see some of Toronto without the stress of homework deadlines hovering over me.
seven things, seven days:
1. Experienced a water main break this week on my street. Thankfully, no flooding in the basement!
2. I attended my first info program about grad school… I know, I know, I’m talking all about being done but I plan to take at least 6 months off.
3. Changing your life is not a mid-life crisis. SO IMPORTANT! Change is certain in our lives; we need not judge others (or fear them) for wanting to change.
4. Seemed relevant: Perfectionism and burnout.
5. Something that I’ve been thinking about a lot lately (re: reducing the clutter and noise in my own life): One year without social media
6. 3 effective ways I’m dealing with professional burnout – a great personal essay from The Financial Diet
7. And if you’re suffering from burnout: How to recover {via Mind Tools}
Before it gets too far away from me, I wanted to post about my return weekend to Cleveland in July. Now that we’ve been gone for five years, it’s still surreal to go back and see all the changes — and we both cannot get over how weird it is that we don’t recognize anyone anymore! I went back two years ago as part of a blogger trip with Visit CLE, and I have to say that being in downtown Cleveland still feels strange to me. It’s quickly obvious that it doesn’t have quite the life to it as downtown Pittsburgh… but it still makes for a wonderful weekend getaway.
One thing’s for sure, we will NEVER stay at the Doubletree downtown again. That hotel is just the worst, free points or not.
Friday:
We started off with drinks on the roof of The 9. Initially, we were supposed to meet friends for dinner, but they had an emergency and couldn’t make it out. This is another place that I don’t ever have to go to in my lifetime. Lame and not my scene. Too bad, considering the amazing views.
Rooftop, the Flats, and a running tour of CLE stadiums.
But Heinen’s in the old Ameritrust rotunda building is DEFINITELY for me! Those wine vending machines? I hope that inventor won a Nobel or something. I loaded up a card and sampled plenty (including a cab that was $7 for 1-oz taster… yeah, it was perfect), and we enjoyed a wonderful cheese plate (with gluten-free crackers!). Heinen’s, if you’re not from Northeast Ohio, is a local chain grocery store, and MAN do I wish it existed when we lived on East 4th Street! I lived in the suburbs for many of my Cleveland years though, and Heinen’s is even better than Wegman’s in my book.
Heinen’s in downtown Cleveland is incredible.
We followed up our cheese with Dinner at the Greenhouse Tavern. The chef’s course is still one of the best deals in town, and we both left plenty full. While we people-watched in the front window, I noticed Sinbad was listed on the marquee at Pickwick & Frolic.
HECK YEAH, WE WENT TO SEE SINBAD! That guy made us laugh for over two hours. Totally spontaneous decision, and after being a fan of his for decades, I can finally say that I saw him live!
Saturday:
I like when I can wake up refreshed and early when traveling — and to beat the brunch crowd. We went to Urban Farmer where a former derby teammate works, and HEY-YO TO THE GLUTEN-FREE GODS, I enjoyed my breakfast immensely. I had eggs benedict (on gf toast) and a large bowl of fruit. Also, the coffee was crazy good.
Afterward, we walked to the West Side Market for snacking and people-watching; meat sticks from Czuraj were a must. On the way, we stopped into Nano Brew (for the boyfriend). After meeting up with my sister for a bit, we continued our “drinking tour” at Great Lakes Brewery (again, for the boyfriend). Considering that I came of age in the hey-day of the Flats party scene, it was interesting to walk through and see all the development on both the West and East banks. Was disappointed to see all the bars and restaurants closed on the East Bank near the Aloft Hotel though — we did go in and check out that building a bit. A cool space for Cleveland! On our climb back out of the Flats, we found Portside and HOLY RUM. The drinks were amazing! What a treat on our self-guided tour.
Drinking and walking tours of CLE.
After a few drinks at Portside, we DEFINITELY needed dinner. I’m glad that we read online about Townhall before our visit because this choice was perfection (and quite busy). I was really impressed by their different options for gluten-free (and other dietary restrictions) and my burger (with gluten-free bun!) was delicious. We also ordered this veggie crudo appetizer, which was insanely gigantic but a good starter to share.
For dessert, we Uber-ed over to the Tremont neighborhood for ice cream at Tremont Scoops — our friends own it and they have gluten-free cones! We also walked over to Lilly’s Chocolate to bring a couple boxes home. We really wanted to check out the New Orleans-style bar (its name escapes me right now) but upon experiencing some weird power outage, they weren’t letting anyone in. Alas, we had a drink at Edison’s by the koi pond out back — a must-visit place for pizza and beer (if you can have both of those things) if you’re in the neighborhood. Really random Cleveland trivia: I almost rented an apartment in my mid-20s above Edison’s. It’s always weird to remember that.
Short night for these two ol’ fogies. But I guess the day was plenty exciting.
Sunday:
We didn’t plan to stay late or do anything tourist-y on Sunday, but I needed to get my 8 miles in. After some quickie room service, I took off to run towards the lake and over the two major bridge spans connecting downtown to Ohio City. The Lorain bridge itself is close to a mile across, and it was a good reason to check out my old stomping grounds at Cleveland State campus. Also, there is this super-old cemetery that I’ve always wanted to walk through on East 9th Street, so I ran through there as well as around Progressive Field (ahem, THE JAKE!) and Browns Stadium (GO BROWNS!).
It was a good trip back, and I’m glad I got a little bit of that lake-side humidity before my half marathon there in August.
Is there anything that I missed that I should do on my next visit?
the week:
I feel like I’m finally making progress on my Capstone project, now that I have a clear focus (and I’m not freaking out on the regular). I can’t wait to share with you when I’m finished! It’s amazing to think how much my interests have changed since I started this program a year-and-a-half ago, and it’s incredible to think I will be done in less than a month. The first couple weeks of the semester were rough — this project is probably the hardest thing I’ve done to date — but I am keeping a new perspective of my accomplishments so far in this program, knowing that its completion will lead me to some recharged career opportunities and interests.
weekend:
Oh, hai Cleveland! I can’t wait to run along your beautiful lake. Aside from the comfort of hotel living for a couple days, I will be squeezing homework in between catching up with my ol’ stomping grounds. Any restaurant suggestions for this gluten-free lady?
52 books in 52 weeks:
I figured that without any textbooks for my final two courses, that I would be doing a lot more reading of journals rather than books (I was right). I started getting into Judy Blume’s new book, but I’ll be leaving at home and bringing a case study with me to read (fun times!).
seven things, seven days:
1. This week, I inadvertently found the option to respond to text messages while in the lock screen of my iPhone. LIFE CHANGING.
2. You’ve heard of “ghosting” by now, right? (We used to call it “pancaking” in my day. And it happened to me more times than should for one person. Ahem.) Did you read this NYT article? All I can muster is WTF, COWARDS.
3. Hilariously, I received my PopsugarMustHave, StitchFix, and Ipsy on the same day this week. Should I start doing reviews?
4. Timehop tells me that I was in Costa Rica two years ago. SIGH.
5. PTO Day is my everything right now (hello, laundry!)
6. Darya of Summer Tomato gets this SO RIGHT >> The Secret Ingredient You’re Missing for Stronger Motivation
7. “Thirty-one per cent of us sleep fewer than six hours a night, and sixty-nine per cent report insufficient sleep” — I am part of this statistic. Why Can’t We Fall Asleep. {via New Yorker}
Sunday Lately is a weekly linkup hosted by the Blogger Tribe (lead by 
