Running = Blisters

Total: 46 miles!!!

Saturday: 11 m

Sunday: Cross-training

Monday: Rest

Tuesday:Sick

Wednesday: Sick

Thursday: Rest

Friday: 3 m

Saturday: 8 m

Sunday: Rest

Monday: 11 m

Tuesday: 5 m

Wednesday: 8 m

Wow it's been a long week! There were moments I thought I would die.. and I've got a couple of blisters to prove that fact. However, I made it through!! I even managed to follow my training plan for two whole weeks (minus my two sick days). This is what I am most proud of. Also the fact that I went 46 miles!! I still cannot believe that. I must have recounted my mileage about 6 or 7 times to make sure I got it correct. Most of it might have been walking or a job but I do not care. All I care is that I made it in one piece and that it is preparing me for the Dopey Challenge in January. Mini-motivators seem to be what works for me. I'm so glad I found my groove.  

By the way blisters seem to be my problem no matter what I do. I've gotten the double socks that guarantee no blisters, I've worn bandaids, and I've used gel and glidesticks. I'm at a loss of what to do about them. Any pointers?

Happy Travels!

-B

How do you handle blisters? Or exercise caused stiffness? 

Interesting Read: The Wilder Life

A few weeks back while I was browsing my libraries selection of books available for Kindle I stumbled across The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie. It follows the author, Wendy McClure's quest to learn all she can about her favorite childhood book series, the Little House books. These books were a standard read growing up in America and portrayed the life and times of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her family. Somehow I missed reading these books growing up and did not get the chance to read them until I was a little bit older than the standard reader, being about 14. I feel that because of my age they did not appeal to me as much as they would have had I been a bit younger. None the less, McClure's book appealed to me because it looked at her love of a childhood classic and what made her enjoy it, then and now.

McClure's quest leads her to try some interesting things, such as butter churning in her Chicago apartment and making bread from scratch (including making her own starter). It also led her to compare the actual life of Laura vs the Laura of the books and to understand why there are differences. To me this was one of the most interesting parts. I knew that the books were based on Laura's life but I did not realize how far they really strayed from what happened. 

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In this book it was interesting to follow the journey of a grown women reconnect with her childhood passion and still remain in love with it. A lot of her experiences reminded me of visiting Prince Edward Island and seeing the places that Anne of Green Gables was written about and where L.M. Montgomery lived. It is a surreal experience and it can be hard to rectify what you have always thought about a place and people with the actual place and the actual history. This is was the appeal of the book that kept me reading. I wanted to know how McClure felt about the book series and its author at the very end. How does she feel after spending the better part of a year traveling to different places to see the real location of the Little House on the Prairie, in the Big Woods, the Little Town on the Prairie, and many other locations that Laura lived. 

Over all I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to take a trip down memory lane and to learn a little about what it means to love something as a child and to love it (in a different way) as an adult. 

Happy Travels!

-B

What was your favorite childhood book? Do you still feel the same way about it?

Real Life: Disappointment

Disappointment: the feeling of sadness or displeasure caused by the non-fulfillment of one's hopes or expectations.

Life is full of disappointment and I thought I realized that but after the last few days I do not think it had fully been ingrained in my mind. As many of you know I am in the job hunting mode of my life. This means interviews, endless applications, and ... very few call backs. 

Honestly it is the very few call backs that really get to me. I have always been taught that it is rude to ignore people and the fact that many companies do not even send a "Thank You But You're No Longer In Consideration" email boggles my mind. In the last 8 months I would say that I have applied for about 50 different positions. Of those I have gotten 4 "Thank you for applying but we think someone else is better" emails. 4 out of 50!!! That is 8% of the places that I have applied who have cared enough to let their applicants know that they are no longer interested in them. One of these was from Disney and let me tell you that email hurt the most. I had applied for a position at the beginning of September on a whim not thinking I would get it, because of how competitive a position it is, but I applied anyways. I got the email a few days ago right after I had gotten home from my part-time job. The longer it had been the more excited I got that maybe this was going to happen. Alas, it was not meant to be. This is something I am becoming a little bit too used to. However, I am keeping my chin up and trying to see a positive side. (Like all the running I get to do. Especially at the park.)

A Morning Run Can Be Fun

I've been dealing with this disappointment and frustration mostly by running and doing puzzles. I've run more in the last week than I have in the last month. I've also done more puzzles in the last week than I have in the last three months. It is best to focus your frustration on things that you can control.. like running or puzzles. (I am very original. Can't you tell?)

 

Disappointment is a part of life. The sooner we realize the sooner we can start living it to the fullest. Live life like there is no tomorrow. Carpe Diem. And all that jazz. 

 

As always, Happy Travels!

-B

“If I am to meet with a disappointment, the sooner I know it, the more of life I shall have to wear it off.”

― Thomas Jefferson

Ouch! or The Post Where I Start My Training

Total: 16 miles
Tuesday: 4 miles
Wednesday: 8 miles
Thursday: 4 miles
Friday: Rest (thank goodness)

I have stuck to my training plan for the Dopey Challenge for three whole days!!!! I am so freaking excited I cannot contain myself! (I am completely serious. I mean I have told strangers at work that I ran 8 miles.) It might not seem like a lot to some people but to me this is a big deal. I am not very efficient at following plans like this unless someone is making me or I have mini motivators. Well... I have both. My mom is holding me accountable for my training plan and believe me she means business. Hi mom! I do not hear the end of it when I miss a run and have been getting a lot of flack for not following it for the last month or so. I finally grew tired of it and decided I should probably follow my plan. It has been a little rough but over all I feel great about it. Though, I might be a little sore (note a lot).

Want to see what I'm working towards right now? It's pretty awesome! (At least I think so.)

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This beauty is an REI Airflyte Hybrid Jacket. The body is insulated while the sleeves give room for movement. And the best part? It's on sale!!! Yes I realize that at $68 that is still expensive but compared to the original $99 it's a definite discount (but it's so comfy). And this little babe will be mine in only 2 more weeks. I can't wait!

In other news I have started Jen Lancaster's Such a Pretty Fat: One Narcissist's Quest to Discover If Her Life Makes Her Ass Look Big; Or, Why Pie Is Not the Answer. Let me tell you it is just as good as the first two in her memoir series and I cannot wait to finish it!

How was your week? Any exciting plans for the weekend? I'm going to run 12 miles and hopefully go to a Sherlock Holmes Exhibit. 

-B

November Goals

I cannot believe that it's already November. I have no idea where the time has gone. Oh yea... It's gone towards school and work, with the occasional run thrown in. Let's do a recap of October's Goals shall we?

- Dopey Training Plan!! (This needs to happen and regularly)
- Run 100 miles in the month of October 

     Yea.... this was really far from happening. 
- Stay on top of all of my classes
- Continue being organized and using my planner
- Read 3 books that are not romance novels

     This almost happened. I finished 2! 

 

2/5 = I can do better!

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November Goals

- Run 100 miles in the month of November (I'm already behind on this so I need to up my game)

- Volunteer 

- Read 3 new to me books 

- Continue to Stay on top of my class work

I think that after last month I should really try to focus more on certain aspects of my goals each and every day. Like making mini goals each week to make sure that I accomplish these goals by the end of the month. I might try a sort of reward system. That's worked well for me in the past. 

Have a wonderful day!
-B
 

How Can It Be?

I want to discuss with everyone a very important issue at hand. It is something near and dear to many peoples hearts.... I give you the dounut. Not just any old donut but an apple cider donut!! These little guys are absolutely delicious. I mean melt in your mouth yummyness in every bite. My favorite are the ones from the local pumpkin patch but when I went to Costco the other day I saw a display of Apple Cider donuts just sitting there calling my name. "Buy me.. Buy me.." they proclaim. I being a week person did just that. I bought those little guys with not a second thought. The first one I had was not quite as splendid as the fresh ones but hey for something from a store they weren't too bad. 

That was before I looked. Looked at what you might ask? I will tell you!!!

I looked.... at the calorie count!! DUNH DUNH DUNH!!!!! Oh yes the dreaded calorie count and let me tel you for this particular donut it really was. My brother was the one who initially asked me what it was. I figured it would be between 200-300 calories per donut. This is where I was greatly wrong. It was 200 calories but not for a whole donut. Oh no... it was 200 calories for 1/2 a donut, making it a whopping 400 calories for the entire donut! I don't know about you but I find this ridiculous. How is it possible for such a small piece of dough to be 400 calories? Here is my question.

Why are companies aloud to make such silly serving sizes? Obviously we're going to eat the whole donut and usually wouldn't think twice about it. At a quick glance the calorie count says 200 per serving, thinking that the serving was one donut. Just tell me how many calories are in the freakin' donut. Just be honest! HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? That is all.

Happy Travels!

-Becca

October Goals

Taking a look back at my September goals I realize that I was a little bit over zealous in the goals department. I wanted to do too much and as a side effect didn't get very far on any of my goals. Let's take a look.

- Continue job searching (hopefully I'll find one soon)
- Plan a plausible vacation to go on while job searching 
- Stick with my Dopey Running Plan
- Simplify my life starting with my room
- Try to keep my life more organized
- Set mini goals to help achieve my monthly goals
- Pay it forward
- Read 3 Books
- Blog more regularly 

I really only accomplished one goal to the fullest that I wanted to. All the others I made a good effort at but never full finished. For October I am making fewer goals so that I have a better chance of succeeding at them.

Here are my new goals for October.

- Dopey Training Plan!! (This needs to happen and regularly)
- Run 100 miles in the month of October
- Stay on top of all of my classes
- Continue being organized and using my planner
- Read 3 books that are not romance novels

There you have it folks. My goals for October in all of their goal making glory. I am hoping to accomplish all of them with full force! 

Have a Happy October!

-Becca