The Future

Thoughts of the future have been popping up a lot lately, so I thought that was surely a sign that I should blog about it.

First, I asked my friend and fellow blogger Dre' from ThirtyStory to write a post on what motivates her to continue the healthy eating journey when it is such a struggle.  She wrote this post, and one of her answers really surprised me. She said, "I always envision a future me."

I had never really thought of my future self as motivation, but it works.  I do want to be healthy when I am an old lady.  I know that when I am old, the extra weight will compound the normal issues that come with aging. Plus, I just don't want my whole life to be about being overweight and struggling to lose pounds. I want my life to be about more than that.

Here's a picture of Amie's time capsule stuff. 

Second, my friend Amie decided to bury a time capsule for her birthday.  At her party, each of the guests filled out a card with info about themselves and their lives in 2012. That way when she opens the time capsule in 2042, she can be reminded of all of the people important to her and the things that were important to them back in 2012.  The whole project got me thinking about what will be different in 30 years.  What will I have seen or done by then?  Will I remember anything from this time in my life? After all, I can't remember anything that happened to me 30 years ago.

My friend Abby wrote on her card about my weight struggle.  She wrote that she has confidence that I will be able to lose100 pounds and keep it off (I don't think she knew that I'd be reading these cards before they were buried). Gosh, isn't that a wonderful vision of the future?

I mean, it's not like I never think about the future. It's just usually limited to thoughts of next week, next month, next year.  But 30 years? I've honestly never thought about what I will be like when I'm in my 60s.  Have you?  If not, maybe you should spend some time thinking about your future. What do you want to see happen in the next year or in the next 30 years? And how can you get started on that stuff now?

Pushing Through

Warning: What follows is a really LONG description of my run today.  If you're short on time or not a fan of my long-windedness, here's the summary. I thought I couldn't run two miles today, but I did.

Here's the long winded version. It's a story of triumph over adversity if you're into that sort of thing.
I'm following the Couch to 5k program as I try to get back into running shape.  According to the plan, I run a few minutes, then walk a few minutes, increasing the time spent running as the weeks go by. Today I finished  week 5, and it was a doozy.

In week 5, the plan takes a huge leap forward.  On day 1, you run 1/2 a mile and walk 1/4 a mile, alternating three times.  Not so bad.  On day 2, you run 3/4 a mile and walk 1/4 a mile twice.  This is harder, but I did it on Thursday during a perfectly timed break in the spring storms we had that day.  On day 3, they suddenly wanted me to run two straight miles with NO WALK BREAKS.

This is big. Not only was a jumping up to running a whole 1/2 mile further than I had run before, but those walk breaks are crucial to my mental game. When I've been running, and I'm tired and breathing hard, I can usually convince myself to push through for another minute or two to make it to a walk break.  But running two miles straight means it's a long time before you get to say to yourself "Oh just another minute."

These are my awesome new running shoes,
shown kicked up after I got home.

I was nervous.   So I wore my new workout tank top and my brand new awesome running shoes to psych myself up.  I went to my favorite place, the RiverWalk, so I could smell a little more honeysuckle.  I did my warm up walk and then I started to run.

To fully understand, you have to know that the RiverWalk has three really steep, long hills and a bunch of smaller ones. The first biggie was during my warm up. No biggie.

The second one I ran up last week and I figured out that if I looked down at my feet while I was running up the hill then I didn't have the opportunity to whig out about the size of the hill. I just climbed it, one foot in front of the other.  This was an awesome discovery, and it helped me beast that hill again this week.

Anyway, I made it to the 1.25 mile marker (which means one mile of solid running) and turned around (the RiverWalk is a straight line...to get back to the parking lot you have to turn around at some point).  Except that I just couldn't go anymore. Knowing I was halfway through just meant that I had to go just as far as I had  already come. And it was hot. So I stopped running and started walking. I gave up.

But the 1.25 mile marker is at the top of a beautiful downhill slope.  There's no uphill climb to get to the downhill.  It's just downhill.  So I thought, I'll run this downhill and that will make me want to keep going. Going that direction (instead of turning around) meant that I would be completing more than two miles, but I figured I could always walk the rest of the way after I finished the two on my plan.

But at the bottom of the down hill, I wanted to stop again, and I did. I walked a half mile and then turned around and headed back.  This time I had to climb that beautiful downhill as I approached the 1.25 mile marker.  When I got to the top, I decided to give the running one more try.  I started running.

I don't know what was different this time, but I just kept going.  The first 1/2 mile flew by and once I made it that far I thought I could finish it out. It got progressively harder, but just when I would've given up again, I hit that first hill from my warm up, except that going this direction, it is a beautiful downhill.  Once I got to the bottom, I still had about 3 tenths of a mile to go.  At this point, I actually cheered for myself out loud in a "Come on, Stuckey, keep moving!" fashion.  Two old people who were walking the opposite direction started cheering at that point, saying "You can do it!" and "Keep going!"

To make a long story short, I ran one mile, walked one mile and ran one mile.  Not exactly the plan, but it is nice to know that I can run two miles again.  I'm not sure what the lesson here today is.  Not to give up on myself?  Don't be afraid of a walk break?  Be my own cheerleader?  Don't look up when climbing a hill? I think all of the above were helpful to me today, so you can take your pick.

101 Reasons

About a year ago, my best friend Amie surprised me by making a list on Facebook called 100 Reasons Why I love Jill Stuckey.  It blew me away.  Since today is her 27th birthday, I thought it might be the perfect time to share with you (and her) a few of the reasons why I love her.

1. She is generous to a fault.
2. She has watched the Harry Potter movies more than anyone I know.
3. She loves to boogie board until her stomach is raw.
4. She's almost always positive.
5. As a middle five, she is the glue that holds us together.
6. She believes heaven will be catching pop flys all day.
7. She loves her dad soooo much.
8. She's good with babies, kids, teens and adults.
9. She hates dogs, but agreed to get one because her husband loves dogs, and now she accepts her as part of the family.
10. She would always rather be reading.
11. She is the best book recommender I've ever met.
12. She prefers to only read fantasy, but didn't even know that about herself until someone told her that each book she loves is fantasy.

13. She really tries to be like Jesus.
14. She invented jumping pictures.

15. Party planning is one of her greatest skills.
16. Also, she juggles.
17. She jumped out of an airplane with me.
18. Our birthdays are two days a part.
19. She thinks I am really funny.
20. She once saved a child's life during a llama attack.
21. She is an amazing photographer.
22. She teaches only the really exciting subjects like Roman history and Space.
23. She is a perfect travel partner.
24. We all know, "everybody loves Amie Berryhill"
25. Her name is "Amie Sue Furry Berryhill". Amazing, right?
26. She has the best intentions.
27. She is Team Gale (someone has to be.)
28. She loves to be outside.
29. She loves trees.
30. She loves cool, old things.
31. She makes the best chocolate chip pancakes of anyone I know.
32. She makes a fresh pan of brownies whenever anyone comes to visit.
33. She's not a complainer.
34. She cooks food for me regularly.
35. She understands.
36. She really believes she can do any physical feat. And she can with little to no training.
37. She walks each visitor to the door when they leave.
38. All of my best book recommendations to other people came from her.
39. She Skypes Stephanie Hardy.
40. She can pee outside.
41. She laughs a lot.
42. Everybody wants to be her friend.
43. She is a great modge podger.
44. She is respected by all who know her.
45. She puts together great Halloween costumes.
46. She's very smiley.
47. She doesn't mind driving to Rock Hill to see me. 
48. I always have lots of things to tell her.
49. She invented the word textvite.
50. She watches the shows on tv that I tell her to watch.
51. We fell in love with Vienna at the same time, but separately.
52. She will listen to country music played in my car.
53. She comments on my blog more than anyone else.
54. She misses my blog when I don't post and tells me that.
55. She loves scarves.
56. She hates winter/coldness.
57. She hates skiing.
58. She really loves specific foods like crepes, Nutella, cheeseburgers.
59. Her sister owns the best restaurant in Charlotte.
60. We each have two sisters and one brother.
61. We're such great friends that sometimes we forget that we can have different opinions. And it shocks us when we do.
62. We love all of the same people.
63. She knows how to celebrate a birthday.
64. She can beast a mud run.
65. She loves the ocean.
66. She could teach a course called "Costumes in the Classroom."
67. She is my favorite person to tell stories to or with.
68. She laughs at my jokes
69. She really, really loves when the Eiffel Tower twinkles at night.
70. She loves asking Bryan England to explain stuff.
71. She's great at finding treasures at yard sales or Goodwill.
72. She has an impeccable sense of direction.
73. She loves maps.
74. She loves her family.
75. She spent her first year of college in France.
76. She becomes another person when shopping a Primark.
77. She loves hammocks.
78. She's willing to try a tri.
79. She's a great letter writer.
80. She even decorates the envelopes.
81. She enjoys summer night air.
82. She doesn't waste time with things like showering or cleaning out her car.83. She is really strong.
84. She got really, really invested in LOST about five years after everyone else.
85. She sleeps well.
86. She is crafty.
87. She always packs an abundance of food for a three hour hike.
88. She is an optimist.
89. She's extremely agreeable.
90. She can French braid hair.
91. When she believes in something, she believes very strongly.
92. She takes care of the earth.
93. She is an amazing Mafia player and a stone-cold liar.
94. She does not think it is weird to have many friends who are significantly younger than you.
95. She loves me most when I am grumpy
96. She is very supportive.
97. She plans to live to be 100.
98. She gave me the gift of music- a karaoke machine.  

99. She has great ideas. Like doing the original list for me that I am now copying or burying a time capsule in her back yard.

100. She's married, but not a "smug married."

101. As evidenced by about two-thirds of the list above, she loves me and the rest of her friends well.


Amie + Jill = Best Friends Forever!

Thankful Thursdays: April 26

Today, I do not have a lot of pictures for you. But I am still thankful. Here's what I'm thankful for today:

Amie, My BFF
Her birthday is Saturday.  I get almost as excited for her birthday as I do for my own.

Food.
Food gets a bad rap from me a lot of times.  I blame it for my weight problems, etc.  But really, isn't it amazing that it gives you energy and actually allows you function?

The Dentist.
Again, dentists are not usually celebrated.  But going to the dentist today means that I have teeth, and I am able to keep them generally in good working order.

York County Library and their website
More than half of the 18 books I've read this year have come from the YCL (the only reason it's not more, is because I borrowed six from my mother's personal library). Their amazing online service allows you to put in a request, and then just walk in, show your card and pick it up in five minutes.

The boys at the bike shop
I took my bike in today...turns out I did not have flat tires or tubes or what have you, but I just don't know how to properly use my tire pump.  I told them this straight up and they were very patient and polite and non-condescending and showed me how to use it.  They even provided paper and pen for me to take notes with (my idea).  And, it cost me nothing!

Pandora
It runs constantly on my computer at work, giving me the tuneage needed to keep the day moving.

Apps that are useful or fun
My most recent download is the LifePics app, which allows me to send pictures directly from my iphone to my local CVS to be printed. Score for printing pictures again!

What are you thankful for this week?

Wisdom from Harry Potter

This morning, somewhere between sleep and awake, I had this dream that I want to share with you.

Young Harry has no idea what's
in store for him.

I was watching Harry Potter. One of the early ones, because Harry was young. He had been fighting Voldemort. He was upset and wanted to give up.  He was saying (I think to me): "What's the point in trying (to kill Voldemort)? He's bigger, stronger, more powerful. I just want to give up."*

But just then, Harry from the epilogue of book 7 came in.  An older, wiser Harry.  He said (again, I think this was to me) "You know how the epilogue shows you what a great life I have now? How I'm a successful auror with a great wife and amazing kids? How there's no more Voldy?"

And I was like, "Yeah."

And he was all "This young Harry doesn't know all that, so he feels like it is better to give up.  But you and I know that if he gave up and let Voldemort kill him, he would miss out on so much good stuff later."

See all of this good stuff Harry would've missed out on?

It made so much sense.

I woke up and immediately thought of a good friend of mine, and how I needed to tell her about this dream.  But, as I wrote it all out to her in a letter (I wrote a letter first thing this morning so I wouldn't forget it), I realized this really applies to me and anyone going through a tough time. You don't have to be in a deep depression or suicidal to need to hear this message. Anyone stuck in a rut or a struggle has a hard time seeing over the top of that hill to what comes next.

While we may not ever become famous aurors, there is other stuff - good stuff -  to look forward to. It gets better.

It's weird to think about how dreams formulate themselves.  I think this one is mainly because I saw the movie "Bully" with my youth group on Sunday.  It's a documentary, and in it several kids had killed themselves because they were being bullied to the point where they couldn't deal with it.  I just kept wanting to tell them, and the students in my youth group, that life gets better.  Once you get out of high school things are different, so you just need to keep living and get past this tough patch.  Also, I think I've been thinking about Harry Potter a lot because of my friend Jenna just finished the series and because my friend Amie's (a Harry Potter obsess-or if there ever was one) birthday is Saturday.


Here's the epilogue scene from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, if you're interested.


*For the record, Harry Potter would never think like that in real life. This was clearly the dream speaking.

It's Grill Time

I'm not very good at grilling.  I've had my grill for a year and a half and it seems I burn most everything I put on it.  It's partly walking away and not checking on it enough and partly because I can never seem to remember to turn the dial down from "high," where it has to be to ignite, to "low."   But grilled foods are some of my favorites, so this weekend I was determined to try again. 

I was making not one, but two recipes that called for grilling from my friend Dre's recipe blog.  Number One is Spinach and Feta Pork Tenderloin and Number Two is Barbeque Chicken Salad.

First, does anyone know why grill tools are so big?  I mean, I understand you don't want to get near the flames, but what size grill and how big are the flames these tool makers are cooking on that they need tools the length of your arm?

Anyway, it turns out when you cook on low heat, it takes longer but it works a LOT better.  My chicken breasts came out juicy instead of charred and, goodness, you should taste the spinach and feta pork tenderloin (it probably helped that it was pre-seasoned in the package.)

Chicken on the barbie.

Completed Pork Tenderloin

After the weekend, I feel a lot more confident about grilling and I'm glad I don't need to give up on grilling forever.

This also make Bonnie happy.  Because grilling not only means I'm chopping veggies in the kitchen (her favorite, because occasionally one gets dropped off the counter), but I'm also opening the door to the outside a lot and bringing in delicious smelling meats. It's a win-win-win in her book.

How do you feel about grilling?

US Marine Corps Mud Run 2012

On Saturday I went to watch Team Ridiculous 2.0 compete in the Marine Corps Mud Run.

As I watched them toe the starting line, I started to get a little sad that I wasn't starting out on this adventure with them.

However, by the time I saw them about 30 minutes later about 1/3 of the way through the course, I decided I was thankful that I had decided not to sign up again this year. This course is a brutal five miles with 36 obstacles, many of which require extreme upper body strength.  I've never completed another obstacle course/mud run, but somehow I just don't think any of them can compare with this bad boy.

My role for the day was stuff holder (car keys, phones, eye glasses, you get the picture) and photographer Here are some of the shots I got.

My first sighting of the team as they charged through the switchbacks.
I spotted them far away and started yelling.  I like to think my shouts helped.

The monkey bars go up at an incline and down at a decline,
which is harder than regular monkey bars. Luckily, your team
can help you out. Here are Jodie (on the bars) and Wendy below.

This is scarier than it looks, jumping from a ledge about five
feet up into a mud hole of unknown depth. They did it together.

Here's all four team mates on one set of over/under logs.
This obstacle is not so bad.

Amie, left, and Abi, right, wait for the teammates at the end
of the "Sands of Iwo Jima" mud river.

Abi is demonstrating a superb fireman's carry with Jodie on her back.

They crossed the finish line as a team

Team Ridiculous 2012.

Congratulations to Team Ridiculous!