I meant to write this post a few days ago because I wanted to recap how running has been going lately! I've been getting my miles in and I'm slowly starting to feel more confident about my mini coming up. I do wish I had waited to sign up for the Indianapolis Mini because it seems like a quarter of my classmates are running it but instead I went for the Flying Pig Half Marathon in Cincinnati - can you say hills on hills on hills? 

I've been training in Indianapolis which means most of my training has been flat - at least in respect to Cincy - the City of Seven Hills! It will definitely be a challenge but I'm going to do it!

I'm also toying with signing up for the Indianapolis Women's Half on June 6th - about a month after the Flying Pig and a week before the wedding. I read somewhere that if you are training for a mini or a marathon, you might as well sign up for another one since you'll already be conditioned for it. I'm going to see how my first one goes and then sign up if I'm still alive (I will be).

Honestly, it isn't the distance that is scary anymore. It's the part when I STOP running and my body figures out what I just put it through. Last week I did 8.25 miles which wasn't horrible. As soon as I started walking though, I started to get a little nauseous and my legs were very unhappy. I proceeded to take a warm bath and eat a snack which made me feel TONS better. I wasn't nearly as sore as I thought I would be the next day thanks to some foam rollin'  

Snack time!

If there's one tip I can provide as a newbie to running: make sure you are cross training!  Just do something other than running. Strength training and interval training has made all the difference for me - both physically and mentally. I feel more empowered when I challenge my body in ways other than running.  

Running is definitely hard and makes me feel accomplished but there is something about lifting weights that really kicks it up a notch for me.  Maybe it's because I'm starting to shed the self-conscious attitude at the gym - I hate knowing that people can watch me!  I wish I could workout in my own private gym. Hey Heather, care LESS. 

Nice BR shot.

On to the recap!  

Last Saturday morning, I ran the Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure 5K with my med school team members! Thanks to some very generous family members, I was able to exceed my fundraising goal of $250 which was very exciting! 

I love charity races and this one was particularly special because there were so many cancer survivors participating and many family members dedicating their walk/run to affected friends/family! 

As far as the run part went, it felt quick! I remember running my first 5K last June and having to stop to walk because I burned myself out too quickly. I'm getting much better at pacing myself and ignoring the other people around me.  Just run. 

I was thankful that the course did have a few hills - I need the practice! As I neared the finish line, I was surprised that I wanted to keep running - the course just felt too short. What a stark contrast to where I was last year when 3 miles seemed impossible... 

My unofficial time - 33:15. I think it was more like 34:00 because I started my app late. We underestimated the time it would take to get to the start line from where we decided to meet so I ended up sprinting to the start and weaving in between all the walkers - this event was MASSIVE! I really want to buy a GPS watch to I'll have something more reliable to train with! 

The best part about the race? CHOCOLATE MILK at the end! I'm obsessed with Kroger chocolate milk but since I don't usually eat dairy these days, I never buy it. I was one happy camper!

After the race, Nick and I headed to Bloomington to enjoy the beautiful spring weather and check out the Bloomington Craft Beer Festival - craft beer from all over the state of Indiana. (including my new favorite - Three Floyd's that my dear friend and MOH introduced me to in Munster, IN).  

The event was being held in an old mill close to the Indiana quarries (Indiana is well-known for their limestone quarries). I love industrial spaces like this so it was super cool just to be there and walk around! 

We also made a quick visit to our favorite Bloomington spot - Nick's!

Empty tasting glass! (Nick hates that face).

I thought those letters were the coolest and then I found out they used to be on the old Bloomington Hospital before it was bought by IU Health and the name was changed! 

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you already know how nostalgic/ warm & fuzzy I get about Indiana, Bloomington, and my college years. I swear there is something special about B-Town. I love it! I get so happy going to visit - especially during the spring and fall. I'm getting all teary-eyed just thinking about it!  

And that's that! A quick visit and it was back to the books. I managed to get a workout in before we left the next morning so I think I balanced the trip out nicely.  

What's next on the running agenda? Two more long runs - 10 miles & 11 miles (plus my shorter training runs). And another 5K.

My school is sponsoring this 5K next weekend which several of us will be running! Then it's taper week and the big half marathon!  I can't believe it is so close!

Have a great weekend and Happy Easter!

It's Wednesday and I'm just now getting around to talking about my fantastic weekend so it must have been good, right? RIGHT!

Any week with less work days is always a positive to me. For those counting, I only have 4 MORE DAYS of work left and then I get to start sleeping at night and praying I haven't completely messed up my metabolism.

On Friday, we had the Kenny Chesney concert which Nick and I went to with his parents (they are hip and cool like that) plus we didn't have to drive. I was totally expecting to run into more people that we knew throughout the night but that wasn't the case - just a few people Nick works with. Oh well. It was still a blast minus the rain. Seriously, what's with all the rain? Send some to the southwest, please!

As a side note, people are just disgusting. By the end of the night the women's restrooms were covered in an inch of water and the girls behind me in line were not wearing shoes. Are you serious? You aren't wearing shoes in a concert bathroom? I hope you've had your tetanus shot! 

After too much beer and a late night, we woke up super early to drive to Bloomington for my sorority sister's wedding.I was super disappointed that I ruined my 2+ weeks of no soda and no fast food when we got Burger King on the way...both of us needed something greasy to say the least. Then the real fun began! I don't know what the best part was: seeing my friends again, being back in Bloomington, or celebrating my first friend wedding. 

Up until now, all the weddings I've been to have been those of older family and friends, but no one my age. I guess we are starting to enter that stage of our lives and I couldn't be more excited!  

The wedding itself was beautiful. I'm a bawl bag so of course I cried during the ceremony. When I first saw the bride, tears welled up in my eyes.  She looked gorgeous with a radiant smile - I can't wait to experience that first hand one day!

After a full Catholic mass (I LOVE church weddings and I love mass. Maybe I should go more often then...), we headed over to the Indiana Memorial Union for the reception. The whole wedding was perfect and simple - nothing too over the top with the main focus on the couple and their love that started in Bloomington at college! I'm such a hopeless romantic...swoon! So reception pictures:

The best part was the after party! All of our friends met up at our favorite local spot - Nick's English Hut - and it was like returning home. I remembered all the football and basketball games I had watched over the years, my 22nd birthday playing Sink the Biz with friends & family, our last senior sorority dinner, and random nights filled with laughter and friends (plus some Biz fries). 

A little later into the night, the bride, groom, and whole wedding party showed up at Nick's (in their full wedding attire)! It was pure Hoosier perfection!

When I was finally forced to go back to the hotel for the night, I had the mother of all breakdowns which I totally knew was coming. Bloomington is such a sacred place for me and it's where I did A LOT of growing up. The day I stepped foot on the campus I was a shy, insecure 18 year old and in just 4 years I made a complete 180 (well, almost. I still have work to do). My life completely changed when I decided to attend IU and when I met my friends which is why I'm so crazy about that place. It's hard to explain but every time I come back to visit, I feel like I'm coming home. 

Unfortunately on Sunday morning everyone had to rush about in different directions to get back home and prepare for work. Emerging adulthood is rough :). Before we left for Cincy, Nick and I decided to make a quick stop to Assembly Hall. Lucky for us, there was a basketball camp going on so the buildings were all unlocked! 

So that was my bittersweet weekend of celebration. I was really happy I worked so hard during the cleanse - I really loved my dress and a lot of my clothes are starting to fit better! Still, this weekend also reminded me how far I still have to go in all my goals (standing next to beautiful, skinny girls will do that). Now is not the time to get complacent!