Our Deepest Fear

I recently received an invite to join Bliss Connect, a community of health and wellness bloggers.  First, I am extremely honored to be included with some amazing women such as Angela, one of the most inspirational writers I've read; Brittany, who has great recipes, food-finds, and workout ideas; Caitlin, who founded Operation Beautiful (check it out - awesome); and many, many more.

Second, I started browsing the site today and came across one discussion thread that I really, really like.  It's all about inspirational quotes, sayings that make you feel better, etc.  I am constantly looking for things like this in my life; in fact, I have six pieces of art work (that I can think of off the top of my head) hanging in my house, all consisting of quotes.  I love everything from poems to song lyrics to literary text to random musings.  Through one of my friend's blog rolls, I also discovered a website full of quotes and images; check it out.

I thought today I would share a few of my favorite quotes, some of my most recent finds, with you!

I just bought this from rawartletterpress on Etsy and plan to put it in my classroom - she adapted an A.A. Milne quote from Winnie the Pooh, and I think it is something that so many of my kiddos need to hear everyday.

Love, love, love.  Imagination is so important.

I'm going to figure out a way to put this one in my classroom, too.  We do so much with the concept of voice, the idea of journaling and about finding oneself, and I think this idea fits in impeccably well.

Finally, I leave you with this video:

Okay, so most of my favorite quotes today had to do with teaching and with my students, but...oh well!  Tomorrow we'll talk about running.  :)

What are your favorite quotes/sayings?  What words inspire you?

A Milestone

Happy Monday, everyone!  I hope you all had wonderful, relaxing weekends!

Mine was awesome: jam-packed full of family, friends, and fun.  It started on Friday when my soon-to-be sister-in-law came to town.  She recently became a stylist with Stella and Dot and had a trunk show at my apartment.  I am usually not super into house parties where stuff is being sold, but I absolutely LOVE this jewelry line and am even thinking of selling it myself.  Until that happens, though, please consider purchasing from Aly.  :)

After the trunk show, we went downtown to meet her best friend, and after a quick visit to a new-ish patio, we headed up to her friend's roof - and managed to bribe a singer/songwriter/street performer to play his guitar up there for us.  While it was a little on the humid side, it was a spectacular view and amazing entertainment.

Saturday morning, we woke up bright and early (5:45!) for our run.  Can you guess how many miles we did?

It was awesome.  I cannot even tell you how proud I am of all of us - and I'm totally including myself here!  It was SO hot outside, and it was obviously the longest distance we've run.  Interestingly (or maybe not so interestingly), it was the first time I've been sore after running.  I really haven't had any muscle soreness, oddly enough.  The ten-miler was quite different, though, and I was hurting immediately after we finished.

In addition, while my slicing shin pain has been almost completely alleviated with my new shoes, I am starting to develop "runners' knee."  It's very, very sore, but I also know I need to ice and Advil more than I am.

But enough complaining: I RAN TEN MILES!

After the run we came home and had to relatively quickly get ready for an appointment: to shop for wedding dresses!  We hit up Schaffer's, an upscale bridal boutique, where Aly tried on beautiful couture gowns and classy bridesmaids' dresses.  From there we went to the mall to pick up new running shoes for Aly, new software for me, and lunch.  And then Aly had to leave.  :(  I love that girl and am so thankful she's a part of my family.

As soon as I arrived home, I absolutely crashed on the couch.  I did not even wake up to two text messages or a phone call - and I always wake up to my phone!  Saturday night I went on a date to see Horrible Bosses.  I had absolutely no idea what this movie was about (or even what genre it was), but I am so glad we went: it is one of the funniest movies I have seen in a LONG time.  I was crying because I was laughing so hard.  After the movie we went to one of my favorite bars, had a couple of cocktails, and called it a night.

And it was a good thing we did because I had to wake up early: my mama came to town!  We had a girls' afternoon/evening at Summerset Winery planned, and my mom came in early so that we could go to brunch and then on a hot, humid cemetery walk.  After a short rest at home, we packed up our picnic and headed south to the winery for a wonderful time with great friends.  I worked briefly on my new job (!!!) and then crashed - I was pooped!

Today included a three-mile run and a gut-buster workout, a dentist appointment, more work for the new job (!!!), and dinner with friends, and now I am ready to crash.  Is it bad that I'm kind of crossing my fingers for storms in the morning so that I can sleep in and run later in the day?  :)

My Running Mantra

For See-Us Run Des Moines, we have practice Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.  The three weekdays are shorter runs, generally three to four miles, accompanied by strength workouts (hills, squats/lunges, crunches, sprints, etc), and the Saturday run is our long run, gradually building distance until we reach 20 miles, the farthest we will run pre-marathon.  As Dawn Dais says in one of my all-time favorite books, The Nonrunner's Marathon Guide for Women: Get Off Your Butt and On With Your Training, "Since when do you only train for two-thirds of an athletic event?"

Because of my amazing summer-work schedule, I am able to attend most of the morning practices.  Last week, however, I wasn't able to attend any.  That does not mean that I skipped working out altogether; instead, I had the pleasure of running after summer school - at 1:00 - in 100-degree weather.  Let me tell you how much I was looking forward to those runs.

I cannot tell you how many times I had to repeat my three favorite running mantras:

• I will never regret a workout - this is courtesy of Tina Haupert at Carrots 'n' Cake, probably my all-time favorite blog.  She recently ran her first marathon and continually has great workout routines as well as healthy recipes, and I really appreciate that she is so realistic.  She'll have dessert, and she'll have a cocktail.  It's so refreshing seeing someone to whom I can really relate.  I had to repeat this over and over and over in order to brave the heat to complete my workouts this week.
• My body is stronger than I think it is - honestly, I cannot remember who deserves the credit for this one.  It may be Kristin from Iowa Girl Eats.  I get a lot of my workout inspiration (and recipes!) from her.  Regardless of who the originator is, this quote is so true: our bodies are machines, intended to do hard work; our minds are what prevent us from doing so.  I constantly remind myself of this during workouts.
• I can do anything for two minutes/a fourth of a mile/etc. - I believe my mom is the creator of this gem.  If I'm struggling up a hill or at the end of a race (okay, okay: throughout the entire race), I repeat over and over and over that I can do anything for a short amount of time/distance.  The other day one of my students and I went to the YMCA as opposed to running in a 117-degree heat index, and we ran two miles at a much faster pace than we do on the trails.  I repeatedly had to remind myself that I can do anything - even a really fast anything - for a short amount of time.

You can bet that as I lace up my tennies to run ten miles (yes, TEN MILES) on Saturday, these three mantras will be on "repeat" in my mind.  I can't imagine finishing the run without them!

Speaking of tennies, here are my brand-spankin'-new shoes:

I went to a real-life running store and got fitted for new shoes because of intense pain I'd been having in my shins.  I cannot even begin to tell you how much these have helped; the pain is non-existent (knock on wood).  Thank you, Fitness Sports.

Now if I could just find a sports bra...

Reality

So, reality has sunken in.  This is what I'm going to be doing in approximately 16.5 weeks (please note my new, fancy-schmancy countdown for the exact numbers):

What in the world am I thinking?

To Heart

Monday was a day spent recovering from Easter and dealing with technology - so, it was not such a fun day.

Tuesday was approximately a million and a half times better.  After school, See Us Run Des Moines had our first race: the Grand Blue Mile in downtown Des Moines.  It was so much fun, and we did so well!  All of the students finished between seven and 13 minutes, and my mentee and I were right in the middle of the pack with 10:17.  It's definitely not the fastest mile in the world, but honestly, it's my fastest in several years!  I was really proud of the two of us.

(Initially I was paired with a girl who - allegedly - can run six-minute miles.  Imagine the panic I felt upon that realization.  Whoa.)

After work today I decided to do a little cross-training and hit the Y for a spin class.  I was less-than-impressed: while it was a good strength workout (and I rode 16 miles in 38 minutes), it did not feel like a cardio workout at all.  I mean, my shirt was covered in sweat, but I wasn't huffing and puffing like I usually am during/after spinning.  And, she totally cut our class short and didn't even say goodbye or thanks for coming - not cool.

BUT, I'm headed to bed now.  I'm taking a car-full of girls on a road-trip after school tomorrow to hear my personal hero, Erin Gruwell, speak.  It's going to be a loooooooooong day - but, I'm sure, an amazing one.

The Sun Will Rise Tomorrow

Sorry about yesterday.

That apology goes out to two groups of people, only one of which is probably reading this: first, I would like to apologize to YOU for failing to post yesterday.  I was on a roll, and I failed.  Second, I would like to apologize to my three best friends - with whom I went to book club and dinner - for being a total Debbie Downer.

As you may know, I teach ninth grade in an urban high school; my kids are 14- and 15-years-old.  I'm not going to go into detail here (duh), but suffice it to say that sometimes really, really shitty things happen in their lives, things that are absolutely unfathomable and so intensely heartbreaking.  I cannot help but internalize some of their pain and sadness - I care too much.  And that gets so emotionally draining.

Yesterday was the day I just broke down.

My children just should not have to experience half of the things they do.  And I wish I was not so utterly helpless.

And now I'm going to apologize about today.  After putting all of that down on "paper," I just don't have the energy to write anything else.

Source

However, I want to include this picture because of something my best friend said today, something that stuck with me.  She is a substance abuse counselor and led one of her groups on the second step: turning troubles over to a higher power.  I asked her how that step worked with individuals who are not religious, and she said the "higher power" can be anything that the person trusts:

"I trust that the sun will rise tomorrow."  

While I do believe in something greater than I, I also find it comforting and reassuring to know that the sun will rise; tomorrow will come.

A Sense of Pride

Yep.  That's me.  Well, that'd be me if I were a boy and of the Pavo cristatus variety.  But you knew what I meant.  Anyway, I'm pretty proud of myself today.  (Get it?  Peacock?  Proud?  Okay, good.)

Source

Obviously you know about my awesome workout last night.  Well, this one tops it.  Because of the weather today (approximately 20 degrees below zero and pouring bullets), I hit the gym instead of the trail for a 5k run.  I started by walking for two minutes at 4.0 to get warm, and then I started jogging; granted, I was only moving at a 5.0 pace (12-minute mile) and going at a 1% incline, but I was moving.  When half a mile hit, I thought to myself, "Emily, you can go another half-mile."  Then when one mile hit, I didn't feel the need to stop.  At 1.8 miles, I told myself that I would listen to one-and-a-half more songs and then take a short break.

Side note: I love The Boss.  He makes a workout easy.

When my songs were over, I had already run 2.5 miles, so I figured, "Why not?"  I ran the whole stinkin' thing.  First. time. ever.  At 2.5, I even upped my speed to 5.5, and with 0.3 left, I upped it to 6.0.  I finished in 00:36:51.  While it definitely wasn't fast by any means, I was pretty darn proud!

The only reason I stopped the run today when I did was because of my legs.  My lungs felt good, my heart felt good, I felt good.  My legs, however, did not.  They didn't hurt too bad during the actual run, but as soon as I stepped off the treadmill and moved into the runner's stretch, the knives jabbed into my shins.  I'm going to be a hurtin' unit tomorrow - considering I already am right now.

In other news: I've been eating like a horse today.  (I've also been drinking more water than I can keep track of - let's just say that I've spent nearly equal time in and out of the bathroom today!)

I had cereal for breakfast (Organic Optimum Slim) at 7:30 - I had a curriculum meeting all day and didn't have to get there until 8:00, so I actually had time for a "real" breakfast!  Around 9:45, I got hungry and inhaled a Luna Bar in about three seconds.  For lunch, we got to pretend we were "real grownups" and headed to Panera; I had the turkey/artichoke panini and French onion soup - it was cold out today!  Then I was pretty good until after my workout.  As soon as I walked in the door, I had some leftover pasta from last night along with some cinnamon-sugar roasted almonds.  And then for real dinner around 7:00, I had spring rolls:

If spring rolls weren't so time-consuming, I'm pretty sure I'd eat them way more often.  They are healthy, they are delicious, and they are filling: three of my favorite things!

Mom: check out my fingernails.  Oh yeah!

For the rest of you, it's just one more thing I have to be proud of today.

Story: I have had the nastiest habit in the world since I was four-years-old.  Yep: I'm a nail-biter - well, actually more of a nail-picker, but it's equally as disgusting.  However, after I took off the acrylics about a week ago (I always think they're a good idea...and then get sick of them after a month), I immediately painted them with OPI Nail Envy and a coat of Koala Bear-y, my personal favorite.  They are beautiful!  I really hope I can keep 'em that way!!!

Anyway, I'm off to do some more reading:

One of my bestest friends invited me to her church for a social justice book club of sorts.  (I'll be able to explain more tomorrow.)  Anyway, we're supposed to read the first 170 pages of this book, and I am currently on page 40.  Wish me luck!