Kindness of a "Stranger"

Today, much to my pleasant surprise, I received two care packages from a complete “stranger.”  I use the quotation marks because although we are friends via the blogosphere and Twitter, we have never actually met.  A while back I did a post about things that forward deployed Marines like to get in care packages.  There was absolutely no expectation that anyone send anything, but I frequently am asked the question, “What do you need over there?” 

Source (basically I borrowed this from Heidi's blog:)

We’ve been here for a little over a month now and these were the FIRST care packages (yes, she sent 2!) that I’ve received.  It was a total morale boost and she even added some extra things to make it more fun!  There were Larabars, Odwalla Bars, running socks (seriously, can you ever have too many socks – NO), Twizzlers, hand and feet warmers, fruit snacks, running magazines, Goldfish, and so much more!  The most fun thing she included was a package of stickers!  I plan on decorating one of my Marine’s computers, one of the Alpha male types ;-)

                  It never ceases to amaze me how kind other people can be.  And when I’m in a place like Afghanistan where a lot of folks are always irritated or grumpy, sometimes I can lose some faith in humanity.  Then something like this happens – a care package out of the blue – and WHAM, I remember that the world is truly full of amazing, kind, wonderful people! 

                  Heidi – thank you so much for the care packages that you sent out here!  I’ve parceled out the items to be sent to Marines who are out in remote parts of the battle space and they will be so very appreciative.  Your kindness means so much to me and it puts a huge smile on my face!  

Hiatus

Remember that trip I mentioned awhile ago in this post? Well, it's that time!!  We departed on a flight to London yesterday and will return on the 31st. I should have been writing blogs to schedule for posting while I was away, but life (and my recently returned husband) got in the way:) So to any loyal followers we will return to posting in February. Thanks for reading!!  And stand by for LOTS of pictures of our foreign running:)

My Husband Totally Rocks!

I think my husband, Jason, is pretty incredible for many reasons, but today, I'm particularly thrilled with him because he made this for me:

He was browsing the innerweb the other day, and apparently he was searching for ideas. He found a bunch of great ideas, but went to Lowe's with an open mind. Once he selected the wood and hooks, Jason hit the paint department. He came across textured spray paint...and from a couple cans came this great idea to "build me my own wall!" 

Ignore the awful hair, this was taken post run/crossfit workout

The best part of this whole thing was when he said, "I made you this because I want you to know I'm proud of you and your accomplishments." Of course he followed it up with, "Now you better get some more medals to fill this thing up!" Love this guy:)

Great Customer Service!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I recently had some problems with my Saucony ProGrid Cohesion shoes. I purchased these shoes in October 2011, and by late November, this happened:

Yup, that's my finger poking through all four places where the leather meets the mesh:( I was totally bummed out because I LOVE Saucony! So I decided to figure out my options. I wasn't able to return them to the store where I purchased them because it recently went out of business (and had an awesome sale where I picked up another pair of Saucony's at a great price!). I contacted the customer service department using Saucony's website. (I explained that the holes may have formed due to my recently adopted mid-foot strike.) I received a very informative email with explicit directions on how to go about returning the merchandise. I shipped the shoes to the company on Saturday, and by Wednesday, I received a phone call from a representative letting me know that a new pair of shoes would be here next week! 

After several bad customer service interactions, I almost came to view it as the norm. Thank goodness for professional companies like Saucony who take care of their customers. I knew there was a reason (besides their AWESOME shoes) that I've been buying their shoes for the last 7 years. So to the customer service department, THANK YOU! And for anyone wondering about what type of shoe to purchase next, I strongly urge you to consider this great company!

12 in 12: Guest Blogger

Hi! I'm Lynsey from The Moores: Capturing Our Adventures One Day at a Time. I was thrilled when Jen & Jess asked me to write about a recent challenge that I just completed called 12 in 12. Basically I ran 12 5k's in 12 months. I started in January 2011 and ended in December 2011. 

Why did I challenge myself to do this? Plain and simple: running is not something I really enjoy. Sure, I love to be active and work out but I prefer to run with a ball at my feet (aka soccer!). So this really was a challenge for me and I had one goal in mind.... FINISH! Some months I would do an actual organized 5K race while other months, I managed to squeeze in a 3.1 mile run around our neighborhood. No matter what though, I did it. I did 12 5k's in 12 months! I FINISHED! I didn't let pregnancy stop me either! 

Jen asked me what my favorite race was and why. I would have to say that my July race: Beat the Heat 5K was my favorite. This is because 1- It was my fastest time and 2- one of my sweet friends tagged along and watched Mason for my husband and I so neither of us had to push the stroller, thus, improving my time! Also, this was an evening race and there was free pizza afterwards! That right there is a race after my own heart. 

In all honesty, I am glad I pushed myself to finish this challenge. Do I love running now? No, but I don't dread it like I used to. It's all about baby steps! I did learn through this challenge that if I really set my mind to something, I can accomplish it. It never hurts to have an amazing group of people that are cheering you along as you strive to accomplish your goals. Jen & Jess have been amazing friends through this. They challenge me and inspire me to always push myself a little harder than I think I can go. 

So tell me, what have you done lately to really push yourself? 

2012 Goals

source

Ok, so most every other blogger got around to doing this post a couple weeks ago, but better late than never, right?   All the way from the deserts of Afghanistan, Jessica's goals are as follows:


1) Complete 10 pull-ups (without assistance) before returning to the States. - I am currently able to haul chin over the bar 4 times while kipping. Ideally I'd like to get 10 dead-hang pull ups, but if it takes kipping, I think I'll be ok with that.
2) Run a 6:30 mile. - I knocked out a 7:17 within the last couple months. 6:30 is absolutely feasible. However, short distance is not my forte, so this is definitely going to be a challenge!
3) Bench press her weight (about 135-145). - I recently maxed out at 95. And while I briefly considered cutting weight until I hit 105, maxing out and then eating like a fat kid in a donut shop, I'm not sure that's a healthy approach:) 


And from a much less exciting part of the world, straight out of eastern NC, here are Jennifer's goals:


1) Run a 1:45 half marathon. - As I've posted previously, I'm running the Quintiles Half Marathon in Wilmington, NC this March, so no time like the present to test yourself, right? If it doesn't happen then, I've left myself plenty of racing season to try again.
2) Find the perfect running shoe. - After reading Born to Run, I joined the cult of mid-foot strikers. While that has done wonders for my running, it has been chewing up my shoes:( I had to return my most recent pair to Saucony because it was causing holes to form where the leather toe protector meets the mesh part. Total bummer. Still rocking Saucony's but a different style for now. I've got some friends who have similarly giant feet (size 11) who are willing to let me test their shoes (Brooks, Merrill, etc.). Hoping it's not a fruitless search.
3) Incorporate speed work into my training. - For anyone who has been reading this, you're probably laughing since I tried to do this in the month of November, and failed miserably. But now I've got a race goal and a training plan, so if I can hit the track once a week (starting February), I'll consider it good. 


Do you have any goals that you haven't yet made public? Please share them with us!

Oops...

In preparation for the Quintiles Half Marathon in March 2012, I've been recording my distances. As I wrote down my daily mileage recently on my printed half marathon training plan, I casually glanced up at the top to see this:

I was prepared for everything but the word Novice. By no means do I consider myself a seasoned runner; however, I have completed my fair share of races of varying distances (5k, 8k, 10k, half marathon, and marathon) and I've been running about 5-6 times a week for about the last 8 months. 

Using a pace calculator on Runner's World, I decided (before I began training) that based on my most recent 5k PR, I am capable of running a 1:45 half marathon. When I began training (using the Novice plan), I thought it seemed a bit low on the mileage and was shocked that it didn't include speed work. (That's what I get for not reading carefully until I reached day 1 of week 6!) Now that I've realized my error, I'll be switching to this plan for intermediate runners. I wasn't following it to the letter and I was starting to mix in my own speed work, so hopefully it won't shock my body too much. 

Let this be a lesson to the rest of you though: As my 3rd grade teacher said, "You miss a lot if you skip ahead!"