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Tag Archives: Anna

Date Time!

July 3, 2012 By in Personal Tags: , , , 21 Comments

Sometimes people email me and ask if I exist in real life because all I talk about is running or work.  Well sadly that is all my life consists of right now, minus the occasional dates with aDuBs.  It was really nice to just have time to relax and not be stressed about other things.  I’ll probably be posting some photos of work though and the mass amounts of joys we have there soon.  🙂 

We went to Applebee’s last week and it was so good.  Minus the fact they had changed their menu to not include Salmon anymore (I don’t think I have been in a solid year) but anyways, but I got the bruschetta chicken salad and it was delicious.

Incase you are new to these parts, aDuBs (Anna) and I have been best friends for nearly 11 years now.  Who would have though because she hated me at first…but I was weird so she had every right too…as she does now.

Question for you:  Who is your best friend? 

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Running Story Part 2

January 15, 2012 By in Running Tags: , , , 17 Comments

If you missed part 1 of my running story from Friday here ya go.

In July 2010, about 48 hours after emailing the college coach, he sent me a summer schedule back which really freaked me out.  Running 5 miles daily, a 7 mile run here and there?  I had struggled with that 8k earlier. What the hell are striders?  I knew I enjoyed running but I wasn’t sure of these new “technical” terms.  I essentially thought of running still as walking quite quickly.  But I went with it.  The day I did my first 7 mile run was literally one of the most exciting days of my life!

 On July 16th, I went to win the run-swim-run that I had so desperately trained for last year in 42 minutes.  I can still say that is my greatest race achievement.  

The rest of July and August were full of running more and more.  I made it up to 30 mile weeks even! I went to preseason camp in late August and was instantly hooked.  My first cross country season served as a lot of things for me.  Mostly a learning experience as my coach would tell me.  Just learn as much about the sport as you can.  Learn that girls will elbow you-learn that how to run up hills, run down hills (I still can’t).   It was a successful season for me, and I won MVP for our team!  I wanted next season to come the second after I crossed the finish line of our regional race.

its over? WAHHHH

Meanwhile in October and November I was still swimming.  I had been swimming all my life-I wasn’t going to give that up.  After my last cross country race of the season, I had to give up running and just focus on swimming, as hard as it was I couldn’t swim four hours a day and then run.  Yeah..no.

Plus who wouldn't want to go to Puerto Rico to Train?

To put it in simple terms-lasts years swim season was the worst I had ever had.  I was miserable, I didn’t do well…all that jazz.  I had fun with my friends but that is about all I can say.

In early February 2011-I was so excited to start running again-so excited that I got injured within a week .  I fractured my heal on the treadmill.  I could walk and all that jazz but running hurt.   So I didn’t run again until the Shamrock 5k on my campus (a little more than a month and a half later…the same 5k that I ran the year before and did so well).

Last year I ran a 23 minute 5k and wasn’t pushing the pace.  It was, after all, my first real run in about 4 months. 

I also wore a running skirt

I trained through the Spring and ran 3 half marathons.  Those races kept me excited and I fell in love with the distance races.  No

thing could take away from the accomplishment I had of finishing those.  The excitement of the people, the thrill of the finish line, every part of them excited me!  I wanted to do more-but alas it was way to warm down south for VA to host those in the summer.

I didn’t have any good races in the summer, but I did have the memorable one.  The run-swim-run, the race that I had won last year and was so excited to repeat the win is when I got my stress fracture.  I was in first place but at least 4 minutes but I knew I needed to stop because I was in so much pain.  I watched hundreds of people run past me and it was heartbreaking but it was enough to make me realize that my training needed to change. 

But I still had a good 21st birthday 🙂

I couldn’t run every run within 3 second pace of each other.  I couldn’t run as many miles on the treadmill as I did.  I had done everything that was on my coaches schedule, every distance,  but I was forcing myself to go faster than I needed too and causing my body to work harder than easy runs were supposed too.  I needed to approach running a different way.

I had two months to think about it and was scared I was going to sit out my entire cross country season.  September was always on my mind since it was when I was allowed to run again.  Although my second cross country season was nowhere where I wanted it to be-it was still fun.  I loved it.  It gave me hope for the Spring. 

because my team is awesome<3

I do not regret any part of my stress fracture.  In all honesty, it showed me how fragile the body is too overtraining in running which is a new concept for a swimmer.  Swimming and overtraining are like two peas in a pod.

During my senior year, I also (for personal reasons) made the executive decision to quit swim.  It was hard, but I knew it was better for me.  I haven’t looked back since.

I spent November and December raking in high mileage weeks that I didn’t even know my body was capable of.  (I was also like to point out my coach carefully monitored this after HE SUGGESTED IT).

And it worked.  I went from a 7:22 pace in my last half marathon to a 6:51 in my 20k.  My new running “carefree” style has done wonders for my ability.

Now where does this take me now?  This book de Hollie is far from over, but Ill spend the next couple of months training for more half marathons with more high milage (and carefully monitored) weeks to prepare me.  I’m still not doing much speed work and not venturing to the track which are two things I loathe to begin with.

I love running and I can’t thank everyone via the blogging, DMing and tweeting world who support me.  Also-real life friends, can’t forget about you guys.  🙂

Questions for you:

  1. 1.       Tell me about your running story. 
  2. 2.       What sort of run blogs are you curious to see on lolz?   

Running Story Part 1

January 13, 2012 By in Personal, Reads, Running Tags: , , , 15 Comments

I didn’t realize so many people were curious about my running story.  No matter-I’ll share some parts are on my about me I suppose but who doesn’t enjoy talking about themselves?

I digress.

As most of you know I haven’t been running a really long time.  A year and a half to be exact (and not even the full time of that because I was plagued with a couple injuries.  I’ve run consistently about 8 months of my life). 

I touched upon it here, but I didn’t start really running until the summer of 2010.

In middle school I was overweight, pudgy, awkward and well couldn’t run.  My family was a bunch of runners-but me?  Yeah…no.  I failed the mile test multiple times in both middle and high school.  Not because I didn’t want to pass, I truly did, but because I couldn’t.  I could not physically do it.

It would always come down to the last lap around the track.  I’d be somewhere between 9-10 minutes and I would be dying.   Like oh my god how the hell am I going to make around one more time?

My middle school gym teacher (little did I know how big in the running community he is) would constantly make fun of me.  It didn’t help that I had some of the best middle school runners in my class.   I mean when you have some girl running the mile in 6:30 not really trying  in 7th grade and you have me going into cardiac arrests at 12:15…such differences are noticed.

When I did pass it was passed with anywhere of 10-15 seconds to spare.  My PR on the mile test was 12:12.

So middle and high school running went something like that until 11th grade when we didn’t have togo to gym class anymore.

I enjoyed swimming and it was fun.  To summarize, my running consisted of preying to the high heavens that I’d pass gym class and not have to retake the mile test.

For the first year of college-I ran two times.  One was to impress the (male) captains of the swim team because they were hosting an optional practice that consisted of running.

Why the hell I thought that was a good idea was beyond me.

Another was with my roommate, with when all the ellipticals were taken.  We ran exactly 1.46 miles.  New Personal Long Run!

I mostly got my exercise via dancing...

The summer between freshman and sophomore year-a lot of things happened to me physically and emotionally.  (I found out I had a few random health problems and I became depressed and nearly decided to spend the semester at home).

To keep my mind at ease, I ran a bit over the summer because I wanted to do well in a local run swim run race.  So I did a few 5k training runs on the treadmill (yes treadmill) and went with it (I think did it 4 times on my lunch break at work in about 40-45 minutes or so).  I ended up finishing the 1k run on the beach, 1k swim in the ocean and 5k run in 50 minutes.   I even got second in my age group!

I was overjoyed of my success but didn’t run again for a while.  By a while, I laced up my sneakers maybe once from August to March. My next big running event came when my college hosted an annual 5k on St. Patricks day. The infamous 5k I often talk about the set my running into motion.  I ended up running 24 minutes.

The spring of sophomore year my medical issues kept me at edge and I ran maybe 20 miles weekly, maybe.  I didn’t keep track but I just kind of went with it.  I ran when the weather was nice and I didn’t want to stay cooped up in my dorm.  I kept it casual and did this roughly 5k loop around campus when I did run.

Now we are up to May of 2010, upon returning home from sophomore year of college, dad asked if I wanted to run a 10k race (The Elizabeth River Run) and I told him I had other things to do.  (That was a lie-I just didn’t think me running a race was worth the 30 dollars…it was not big deal for me and I distinctly remember wanting to do a core class at the same time as the race) but I would run the following weekend an 8k.

I maintained my 20 mile weeks and did the 8k.  I don’t remember much from the race just that I finished with roughly an 8:15 pace.  I kept my running casual and mainly swam with some random running in the afternoons if I got off of work early.

July 4, 2010 was when the stars aligned for me in regards with running.  I ended up running a 22 minute 5k.  I don’t know where it came from but I was on cloud 9.  I was hooked.  I was delusional. Out of runner’s high emailed our college cross country coach saying I wanted to join.

Little did I know where this race was going

Stay tuned for part 2 on Sunday which has actually completely been documented by my blog already!  Recaps are fun.

Question for you: Share a personal story about you in regards to working out or fitness, has anyone inspired you?   

Ode to the Cav

August 18, 2011 By in Personal Tags: , , , 12 Comments

Ode to the Cav and all it’s barbed wire glory.

The Cav closed on Sunday for the summer.  Yes, I do realize that it closes very early in the season as well as opening very late.  In fact, it’s only open for 7-8 weeks of the summer depending on the City’s mood.  I really love working there though (if you call it that).

This summer was no exception and possibly one of the best summers.  Why, well first, Anna was working there!  Speaking of Anna, also affectionately known as aDuBs, she is updating her blog again so I can stalk her when school starts and you should too.  True Story!

But back to the Cav.  This summer was a lot of fun.  We didn’t have any major crisis as in previous years (because I run a tight ship).  There were of course rescues from kids who think they can swim in the 9 feet, and a few little children.  One girl ended up being pulled out unconscious but she was okay.  🙂

The most memorable moment was a few weeks ago when a pool came to the pool was a sword.  We are pretty sure he was on drugs, and earlier in the day he had chased a man down the street with the thing.  The police were actually looking for him, and he was immediately arrested in the field near the pool.

The Cav happens to be right on the way to my favorite mall and Anna and I thought, why not go see if people were hoping the fence at night.  They normally do, and do god knows what in the pool in the after hours but that isn’t my responsibility and I’m having a sleepover there to find perpetrators.  The police do a good job of that.

We took underwater photos.

How I managed to creep from so far baffles my mind.

And had hugh jazz farm fresh salads almost every day for lunch.  (That is legit where my paychecks went).

Oh and Anna and I thought it would be fun to climb in the turnstile that used to let patrons in.  Too bad it has been all shut up.  I wish I knew how to make it not on it’s side but I’m not that technology savvy.

But I mostly did a lot of this.  I am a true professional deck patroller.  I don’t know why kids thought I was scary but I’m pretty sure it was because I had reflective sunglasses.

peace out.

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Question for you:

Do you enjoy your job? What do you do?

365 Days of Progression

August 13, 2011 By in Personal, Running, Swimming Tags: , , , 19 Comments

Ha-Last night when I went about my business, I saw many girls wearing “crop tops” and so many more for sale at the mall too.  Apparently this is a legit big style and I just missed it.  Oh well.

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Because I am going to celebrate my one year bloggaversary tomorrow with a post of why I began blogging in the first place (because I think .000001% of you know) I thought I would share some highlights of the year since last August 14th  in a somewhat timeline form.

In August, I went on a fancy date with aDuBs. 

I left for school.

I even climbed a mountain for cross country preseason camp.

In September, I had the best race ever and placed 3rd overall out of 200 girls.  That is only time I have ever felt I ever showed what I could really do in running.

Followed by having the most socially awkward swimming formal ever and another cross country race the next morning.

I was a pumpkin for Halloween.  True life: This costume is the highlight of my Junior year.

November marked the end of cross country season and I made besties at our championships.  It was held in an abandon airfield.  Some girl purposely tripped and spiked the $hit out of my leg.  I actually have a permanent scar from that.  Battle scar baby.

After cross country, I led the swim team (with Julie) in whack@zz cheers several times.

The first week of December, I swam in the most competitive race on my life.  I ou ttouched a girl in the mile by .08 seconds and qualified for our championship swim meet.  For my running besties, that is like out touching someone in the 5k by .08 seconds.  Thank god for touch pads.

When I was at home on break, I ran a poorly designed 5k with aDuBs and ended up running 3.8 miles.  My brothers cross country team got so lost that he ran over 5 miles and came in behind walkers.  It was in the trails during the snow storm that hit the east coast.

I had a training trip to Puerto Rico in which I swam four hours daily with my swimming best frienzz.

I also to lead off a relay which is never a good thing.

I’m pretty sure I had a blogging burnout in January. 

In February, I didn’t make it back to finals in a race I did so well sophomore year but I still had an awesome time and visited Niagra Falls.

I fractured my heels quite soon after beginning to run again and then was about to run for the first time on St.  Patrick’s Day at the local campus 5k race.  I think I ran around 23 after not running for a month.  I don’t actually remember, I just remember flicking a lot of campus off for their vulgar banter at the race.

The spring marked a pretty easy semester and I immediately got back into running.  I ran my first, second and third half marathons.  PRing each time.

And even scored a photo with the famous Katelyn at the Rochacha half.  (I plan to do that next year babycakes).  

In June, I watched my brother graduate.

July, I celebrated my 21st birthday and got a stress fracture all in the same day.

This August has been pretty uneventful but here is my favorite photo thus far.

celebrating 10 years of friendship<3

Well that about sums up my last year.  I have enjoyed 99.9% of it and I want to thank you guys for reading my blog.  I love each and every one of you.  Obviously a blog would be nothing without it’s readers and you guys rock my socks.  So if you ever in the VA/NY area.  Let’s be real life besties too.  

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I must say my life has progressed a lot in the last 365 days and here is to another progression of 365 days.  That and I’ll be in my final internship.  Dear god, help the real world because I’m coming for ya.

Question for you:

Where has your life taken you in the last 365 days?

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