Relay for Life

So, I'm kind of late to post this...

Every year, I participate in an amazing event called Relay for Life. It is a huge fundraiser for the American Cancer Society that is held all around the country.  It is an 18 hour overnight event, in which teams get donations, walk around a track, participate in various activities and contests, and take some time to honor those who have fought and are currently fighting cancer. 

This event means a lot to me because I have lost, or almost lost, several people to this terrible illness. My grandpa on my mom's side, Grandpa Kelly, had leukemia. He was an incredibly active and cheerful person. He was involved in the senior Olympics up until just a couple months before he passed away. Seeing him fight so hard for his life and then lose it anyway was one of the hardest things to witness. My great grandma and grandma on my mom's side were cancer survivors. They passed away due to other reasons. On my father's side, Grandpa Mathes survived skin cancer twice. They caught it quick enough both times that not much damage was done. It was still very scary. In 8th grade, when I went through confirmation at my church, I had a mentor named Jane Hall. She was an amazing person who had beaten an addiction (this is why we were matched: my eating disorder was an addiction too). She was an incredibly inspiring person and we had some great talks and had a lot of fun going on outings, like to the Cincinnati zoo. These trips were extra special because she was a volunteer there and took me behind the scenes. My favorite moment was petting a penguin. Just a couple years ago, Jane lost her battle to cancer. My mom's closest friend Linda, who is practically family to me, has battled lung cancer twice. Now, she's in the hospital because of some respiratory issues with a seemingly unknown cause. Even though she survived cancer, it wreaked havoc on her lungs. Just a couple months ago, one of my former classmates, Anne, lost her battle to cancer. She and I weren't best buds or anything, but she was always kind to me in late elementary and middle school, while most of the other kids were jerks. That's just the way Anne was: kind to everyone. It's just not fair that she was taken so young, at the age of 26.

In summary, cancer sucks and I do my part to kick its butt my always taking part in this huge fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.

This year's Relay for Life (last weekend) went well, as usual. The Glow 5k was especially awesome. It's a race at 1am with glowsticks on the bike path by OU's campus. I somehow managed to be the first female finisher! And if my calculations are correct, I by some miracle ran at a 6:59 minute mile pace!  I was wearing my unicorn leggings, so I've decided that they are my lucky leggings. 

Relay for Life has happened really early last year and this year, so there are plenty of chances left to get involved. You can go to relayforlife.org to see if there's one near you.

Heart Half Marathon Race Recap and St. Paddy's Day Weekend

   On Saturday morning, Ray and I drove to my hometown, Cincinnati, for an amazing weekend!  We parked at Newport on the Levee and walked across the Purple people bridge to downtown Cincinnati for the Heart Mini Marathon expo. It was the perfect day for a walk by the river and downtown! The weather was beautiful and Irish festivities were all over the streets in preparation for St. Paddy's Day. The energy downtown was amazing!

Ray and I on the Purple People Bridge. Yes, that's actually what it's called. Clever name! :-)

   Sunday morning, race day, arrived before the sun had a chance to rise. As usual, I hopped out of bed in anticipation, quickly changing into my laid out race gear. Ray rolled out of bed not so eagerly, and then my mom sauntered sleepily out of her room a few minutes later: I thanked them immensely for their amazing support. Seriously, they are the best!

   Unfortunately, the pleasant warm weather was replaced by bitter cold and nasty wind. Go figure. I started shivering with my teeth chattering the second we got out of the car. We walked a few blocks to the starting area, and waited inside a crowded building until close to starting time. It was just too cold to wait around out in the wind!

pre-race, trying not to freeze. Haha!

    I did my usual jumping up and down shakeout routine, waiting in the crowd for the race to start. Then "BANG!" Several of us jumped, startled. The starting gun firing gets me every time!  Haha! 

    It took quite awhile for my body temperature to finally rise, but after the first couple of miles, I could finally feel my fingers and remove the outside layer. The sight of the Ohio River and downtown Cincinnati at sunrise, as always, was gorgeous!  I was keeping a good pace, appreciating the rolling hills and excitement of the big city race for most of the time. My sinuses and asthma did not react too well with the cold though for some of the time though. I had a really rough time around miles 10-12. We crossed a bridge, ran right beside the river, and then ran back on another bridge. Normally this would've been my favorite part of the race, but the wind and cold were just too much. The last mile of the race, I got my second wind so to speak. I got some water at the last water stop, no longer had the wind in my face quite as strong, and had a huge burst of energy. I ran excitedly along the turning streets, then right around a corner, in all its glory was the finish line. The Finish Line Phenomenon, as I call it, kicked in. Everything around me became a blur, as my legs propelled my body forward, going so fast I could no longer feel them. For a moment, nothing seemed to exist except for the finish line. My time was 1:58; I could've done better and could've done worse. Having a strong finish is the most important part to me anyway.

after finishing the Heart Half Marathon 2014! :-)

   After the race, we all grabbed a delicious lunch and then Ray and I started our Macy's wedding registry. Yay for getting more wedding stuff done! After that, I spent the rest of the afternoon cuddling with my kitty. That night, My mom, Charlie (he's technically my mom's boyfriend: he's pretty much already part of the family), Ray, and I went to our favorite Chinese buffet in Lawrenceburg for dinner. For some reason I ALWAYS want Chinese food for dinner the evening after a race or a long training run.

   On Monday, Ray and I grabbed lunch with my mom and my good friend Shane (who I hadn't seen in way too long), before heading back to Athens. This was after my eye doctor appointment, the reason I was able to get the day off of work and stay an extra day in Cinci. People often ask why I don't just get an eye doctor in Athens where I live, but I just can't. I've been seeing the same eye doctor since I was in third grade and he is just awesome! And great news: my eyes are super healthy! Dr. Orso called them "110% healthy". Yay! Arriving home in Athens later in the evening, Ray and I celebrated St. Paddy's Day with whiskey and green Gatorade: I think they taste amazing together! Going to the crowded bars for the holiday and getting wasted is overrated in my opinion. And I'm actually Irish.  :-p

Enjoying my green Gatorade and whiskey. Happy St. Paddy's Day!  :-)

   That was my weekend in a nutshell. Fun times! I want to do it all again! And I wish my kitty was still in my lap!

My kitty, Twilight. And no, she is NOT named after the book or those ridiculous movies. Haha! I named her that years ago when we got her because of her grey fur and yellow eyes: I was thinking of the time of day just after sunset and thought the name sounded cool. Isn't she gorgeous?

 

Training Tip Tuesday!

I made a pretty big mistake today on my long run (I'm up to 18 miles- yay!) .  I didn't stay hydrated enough. I brought water with me, but didn't refill any of my mini water bottles when I had a chance. This made for a very rough last few miles and slowed me down quite a bit. Dehydration can cause a number of unpleasant things (besides the obvious one-extreme thirst). For me it causes really bad muscle cramps, a general feeling of exhaustion, a pretty nasty headache, and nausea. In case you couldn't tell, I have plenty of experience with being dehydrated during training and races. 

So, how can you make sure you're staying hydrated?

  1) Bring water with you on middle to long distance training runs. Some people just carry a water bottle (for me that doesn't work-I like to run with my hands free). I usually use my camelback for cycling and a hydration belt for running. It is essential to have some form of hydration during trail races, where aid stations are not as plentiful as during road races.

  2) For longer runs, try to plan your route near a place where you can stop and refill your water bottle/camelback/hydration belt. Then refill it, even if it isn't empty. That's what I did wrong on my own training run today: I saw that I still had some water and decided it would be ok not to stop and refill. I was wrong and then suffered the consequences.

  3) Drink Gatorade or another sports drink as well. During races, I grab a cup of Gatorade as well as a water about every other mile starting around mile 14. During long training runs, I fill up one or 2 of my mini water bottles in my hydration belt with Gatorade.

  4) Drink about 4-6 ounces every 20 minutes during exercise.

  5) Make sure you are hydrated before you even start!

Yay hydration!  :-D

Wrapping Up Eating Disorder Awareness Week

  According to NEDA's website, about 20 million women and 10 million men here in the United States have had an eating disorder at some point in their lives. We can all work to decrease this statistic.

  This week was National Eating Disorder Awareness Week (yes, I'm a little late to post about it). I am a survivor. But many people who have or will struggle with the terrible mental and physical illness of an eating disorder are, have not been, or will not be so fortunate.

  Here's the shortened version of my story that I shared on a facebook page called "Purple Project: Eating Disorder Awareness Month 2014" (Check it out: there are some amazing and inspirational stories and photos on their page):


I struggled with anorexia for about 6 years: 8th grade through part of my first year of college. My high school years consisted of mostly scales, doctors offices, hospitals, and self torture. About halfway through my freshman year of college I finally decided enough was enough. Nothing felt as amazing as the transformation I made in 2007. Everything the doctors and therapists tried to tell me throughout my high school years finally clicked. Food was not something I was afraid of and exercise was no longer a punishment for eating. I completed my first half marathon that spring, only possible because of my new found strength. In 2008, I did my first full marathon and triathlon, again only possible because I became strong and healthy. My new lifestyle was born. I have been relapse free for 7 amazing years now.

Now, I am a happy, healthy endurance athlete. I have a couple of awesome jobs and amazing friends and family. I'm getting married and hopefully starting graduate school in the fall.


  My advice for everyone: love yourself. Love your body and the amazing things it can do. Ignore those messages running rampant in the media that try to tell us that we aren't good enough. Life is too short for self-hatred. Encourage others and show compassion. Everyone needs love, and you never know when someone is in desperate need of a simple act of kindness.

  If you or someone you care about show signs of an eating disorder, get help. The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA), among other eating disorder awareness and recovery groups, has some very helpful resources.




the photo I submitted for "Purple Project: Eating Disorder Awareness Month 2014"; my sign says: "I wear purple because I won the battle and you can too!"