December: the final 31 days!

I grabbed the list the other day. I looked over the things I’ve checked off. I looked at what’s left. Boy, was I ambitious! The expression “delusions of grandeur” comes to mind. In fact, it seems like a bit of an understatement. Even with 1,000 cans of giant energy drinks and a million dollars, I would NOT have been able to accomplish everything I put on the list, which was actually just short of 365 items.

In the final month of the year, there are few days left to check items off. And there are a lot of items left. I’m going to pick a few items – just a couple per week – to check off before the year is over.

I’m excited for the winter themed items, like buy someone “Christmas Shoes” – remember that song about the little kid who couldn’t afford to buy shoes for his dying mother and the man behind him in line bought them for him? Something like that! Also, “buy an Angel Tree gift,” which I think is a more realistic item than the Christmas Shoes idea. I’ve got “go ice skating” and “send Christmas cards” on there as well.

Even though it was about 65 degrees today and I was wearing shorts whilst running errands today, I’m feeling the Christmas spirit in a big way this year. Maybe it’s because my nephew is old enough to be excited about the festivities. 

He’s only one, but he’s already having so much fun hunting down the Elf on the Shelf. I’m excited to get our apartment covered in pine needles and smelling of snowberries (whatever those are). I can’t wait to do all sorts of shopping for my nephew and check all my winter items off the list!

Today, I bought my very own Elf on the Shelf so that when my Nugget and I Skype, it will look like his Elf is at Aunt Jax’s for the day. I can’t wait to see his wide blue eyes light up when he sees him. Later this week: ice skating!

 

It’s going to be a winter wonderful December!

MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY: me and everybody else!

MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY: Today my drive is my free will. My right and ability to choose to do something (or not) because I can. Because I want to.

I get to start taking yoga lessons in my living room because I want to. I get to clean my apartment because I got to make it messy. I get to go to work, earn money, and chat with friends because I choose to.

I want. I need. I will. I won't. I choose. Because I can.

I choose happiness, even though Pfizer knows, it ain't easy. I choose healthy, even though Jimmy John's bread knows, I don't love it. I choose hard work because easy work bores me. I choose red wine because... who needs a reason?!

I choose what I want because I can. And I can because of a CHOICE a select, elite and brave few have made. And, in spite of my appreciation and admiration everyday, today I choose to say thank you.

So, thank you!

Motivational Monday: empower yourself.

I know that I continually post fitness inspiration for my Monday motivations so this week I wanted to put something NOT workout related. But I couldn't think of anything. I've found that so much of what I learn through training translates to life. 

Pushing yourself when things get tough. Getting up to go when you don't feel like it. Nursing your wounds, rehabing, then getting back out there. Challenging yourself with new goals. Reaching those, then setting new ones. 

Even though winter is coming and the weather will make it difficult, I've decided to challenge and therefore empower myself with a new goal. I'm going to run the Oak Barrel Half Marathon in Lynchburg in April 2014. Granted, I've run a half before but this time I plan to run it in under two hours, beating my first half marathon time by 12 minutes. I already found a 24 week training program to help me accomplish the task. 

What's empowering you this week? What will you do to accomplish your newest goal? Do you have one? Use mine... we can train together!

Motivational Monday: my inspiration. my women.

Do you ever hear a song that takes you back to a time or place or reminds you of a person? You do. Of course you do. Everyone does. They write songs about these kinds of songs. I have a bunch.

There are two in particular that remind me of two women in my life. They're played out and they actually annoy me, but they make me laugh and smile when I think of these women. 

And these women are my motivational Monday. Ok, that was a convoluted way to get to it, but every time I hear Macklemore "Ceiling Can't Hold Us," I think of Carol at my boot camps, who thought the lyrics to the song were "like the silly can holders" and I think of how I need to make a post in tribute to them. 

Carol is amazing. Short, spunky, football loving lady. She and her hubby travel the world and she's always posting amazing photos of their travels. Every class with Carol is more fun because she's always laughing. Her laugh is contagious and makes every workout seem easier. 

Also at boot camp is Miss Alice. She's a senior Olympian. Yea. She competes in the senior Olympics. This past weekend, she travelled back to D.C. for her college reunion. She said, "Class of '69!" I said, "Alice, that's when my dad graduated high school!" She said, "No... that's when I graduated college. I graduated high school in '65!" She's four years older than my father and only misses bootcamp to travel. She's incredible.

Finally, there's Ginger, my running buddy. Ginger is eight months out from a double knee surgery. She's the reason I hit the trail every week and, often, the reason I'll go one more mile whether I'm running with her or not. We talk about our aches and pains and she always jokes, "talk to me when you're my age." All I hope is that I'm still doing it in my 30's (which aren't so far away, Ging!)

I've got a MM that says to push yourself because no on else is going to do it for you. This is true. At the end of the day, I've laced up and lifted the weights or run the mileage. But these women... these women are the reason why. They're not the only ones, of course. There's Coach A, who runs marathons all over America and Carlene and Kelly who work daily to test the limits of their bodies. There's Lady Mumps, who kills it in crossfit competitions. There are a ton of them. Still, as I edit this I think of more. I don't think I'm anyone's inspiration, but I'm so glad to have these women in my life as mine. 

Here's to you, my Motivational Friends!

Motivational Monday: The Rally Cry

In light of last week's failed experiment to post an inspirational meme Monday through Friday, I felt this was an appropriate kick start for a new week. A rally cry, if you will. A determination not to stop even though I seem to have failed last week.

This proved to be a necessary proverb today when I took on my weekly trail run. I've done it a dozen times by now, but for whatever reason today was difficult. I don't know if my lead man was moving too fast or if maybe I was moving too slow, but I struggled to make it through. Every uphill was steeper than last week. The branches were more mischievous in the way they grabbed at my ankles. And the downhills twisted and wound more than I remembered. The path seemed more treacherous this week.

I found this meme before the run today and as I slowed climbing each root to the top of a hill and I felt I might never make it out of the trail, I remembered that no matter how slow or how weak I believed the run to measure up against last week or the week before, as long as I finished I will have succeeded. So, with heavy legs and belabored breathing I came out of the woods... only a minute slower than last week!

As long as you keep moving, you haven't failed. So keep moving... what's moving you this week?

Too Late for Tuesday

 

At times the list can be grandiose and burdensome. To do something great and magnificent everyday is asking too much of even the saintliest, most organized, most perfect beings of the world. When I made the list I built in easy days for work or travel, but when it comes right down to it, doing one thing from a list I made 200 days ago is a little nutty. How could I have known if I would have the finances or time to do the things I put on this list.

The thing is, even though I'm not likely to go to Canada or Las Vegas in the next few months, the List is serving it's purpose; I'm doing. I'm not always doing great things. Hell, I'm not always doing good things. But, by God if I'm up and I'm living and I'm doing something... I'm doing things. I'm getting my bills in order. Cleaning the kitchen. Writing on the blog. I'm doing. You can laugh and say, "that's life." You're living. You silly girl. That's life. And it's true. 

I'm coming from a place where the everyday was difficult. I went through a period of depression and it was the beginning of this blog. So, when I get up and I go and I pay a bill and brew some coffee and go to work and do my job the best I know how and then have drinks and conversation with amazing people, who I treat with respect and kindness, then it was a good day. And sometimes that has to be enough. And Tuesday, it was.

Wine All About It

The list includes experimenting and trying new things. I put “go to a wine tasting” on it. Not that I’ve never had wine before but that I’ve never been to a tasting in which the wine was broken down tannin by tannin and grape by grape to give the taster a better understanding of how the flavors are created. Also on the list, try a new food and treat one of my best friends to dinner – as he always thinks it necessary to pay for everything and I owe him for five years of meals, drinks and ten-dollar sunglasses from the gas station. The opportunity presented itself last month when Sapphire A Modern Bar and Restaurant held a wine tasting featuring North Berkeley Wines and food by their own Chefs Caleb Hawkins and Chip Meyer.

The sample of wines sparkled and bit. From Prosecco to Red Blends, each hailed from a region of one exotic country or another and represented the passion of their vintners. There were five courses paired with five bottles.

Prosecco is said to be the ice breaker of spirits. Like the “can I buy you a drink?” or “come here often?” at a bar, prosecco makes an introduction and brings people together. So, naturally the meal began with Ca’Vittoria Brut Rose Prosecco NV. A dry and refreshing Rose, it tasted of red berries and pepper spice. Hawkins and Meyer appropriately paired it with an arugula salad, topped with Benton’s bacon croutons and pomegranate seeds with a tomato vinaigrette drizzled on top. The pomegranate seeds burst with tart flavor and accentuated the crisp taste of the Brut Rose.

The second wine was Frederic Magnien Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume 2009 (and, no, I’m still not sure how to say any of those words). This white wine had gusto. The jargon word for it is “energetic,” which means its flavors stuck with you from sip to swallow. Pear skin, lime rinds, apple, white flowers and white pepper mix to make this refined taste last. The flavors weren’t lost as we ate the second course, my favorite course; sliced pork belly with a goat cheese risotto cake, garnished with an apple jalapeno relish. It was the richest course, but neither the wine nor the dish outshined each other.

Next was Mattes Sabran Corbieres le Viala 2009 (I think, Mattes Sabran is the wine maker and “Le Viala” is what the Chateau has chosen to call this particular wine… I think). This pairing of food and wine was heavy and flavorful. Think of licorice and chocolate, mocha and blackberry. The wine is a blend of three grapes, Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre (GSM). They’re not nearly as well-known in name as Cabernet, but they are often blended to deliver a powerful flavor. Succulent black berry and licorice with Asian spices in the drink complimented the braised beef tongue atop a mocha crostini, dressed with a chocolate and clove veal reduction and ginger chips.

The fourth dish was matched with Le Clos du Caillou Cotes du Rhone Vielles Vignes Cuvee’ Unique 2009. Watermelon with feta and balsamic brought out the black cherry and raspberry flavor in this exclusive selection from North Berkeley. This wine was thick, what cultured wine tasters might call, “chewy,” which is why it went well with the light texture of the watermelon. And let’s all agree that feta makes everything betta. 

Finally, Jean Veselle Rose’ de Saignee Brut, a champagne, with seared Australian Seabass, a fennel and leek jam, cherry and Maytag cornelle. This last dish was amazing. “Maytag cornelles” are actually just a fancy way of saying bleu cheese-like garnishes. The entire pairing, from fish to garnish to bubbly was exquisite and the perfect way to wrap things up.

Having never been to a tasting before I had no idea what to expect. The names of the wines and the jargon to describe them were overwhelming, but so were the pairings of drink and food. Understanding became more of an anatomical experience than mental one. Taste and smell made the experience educational, prolific and rich (wine pun, intended).

Sapphire does these tasting bi-monthly and they do them quite well. Whether you go with a group or join a table of connoisseurs on your own, it’s like one big dinner party. I’m still not fluent in wine, as a language, but my tongue certainly has a knack for it.

Finally, I think I’ll add “write about wine” to the list. It was quite the challenge to put this together and I can only hope my readers enjoyed reading it… certainly not as much as I enjoyed drinking the wines, though, as my reading is not nearly as intoxicating. 

Motivational Monday: Day one of five

This week instead of simply one day of motivation, I'd like to try to post inspiration each day. So Motivational Monday will be just one of five days of motivations that I'll be posting. 

I find I am more motivated to act and perform when my posts hold me accountable. My Monday trail runs are the highlight of my week and, generally, the motivational post of the week is inspired by my experience prepping for or during that run.

I'm planning to find drive and inspiration from each workout or run and post them here for friends to - hopefully - find inspiration. 

So, here goes....

Today's motivation is my weekly trail run. As the days get shorter and the trail gets darker, we're running out of weeks to jump on our trail and challenge ourselves to be greater than the week before. Last week we set a PR, running the trail nearly 12 minutes faster than the first time we ran it three months ago. We'd love to shave two more minutes off our time, but felt like last week was the fastest we'd ever be able to go. 

I rolled my ankle. My back ached for days after. My breathing was surprisingly relaxed, but still we were booking it. I don't know if I'd be able to match last week's run, let alone beat it! I'm not even sure I want to - that's how taxing these runs can be.

However, winter is coming to steal our fitness fun away from us and I'd love to see us reach our goal before it does. So, today my motivation is the weather. To embrace the fall and enjoy it before it's gone away.

This is the best part of my week and I'll be so sad when the cruel winter takes it away from me, but in the mean time I'm going to push myself and love every branch that trips me up along the way!

Motivational Monday: what's next?

I've spent the whole day trying to come up with the most eloquent way to properly express the thoughts I have for my weekly kick-off this week and what follows still might not do it justice, but it's the best I could come up with.

It was a long weekend. Highly anticipated. With promises of great times with amazing people, friends and strangers alike. There would be laughter, football and all things great that a gathering of motley friends could promise.

As it approached, I had considered different opportunities and scenarios that the weekend might offer.
I thought about what I might wear each day. I considered how I might do my nails. Would I be able to fit everyone into my schedule? Where would I leave my car Friday night? Did I have enough money to accomplish all we had intended? I had no questions about my hair, though. My hair I had all figured out.

Now that it's Monday and the days came and went, as easily as friend's in their caravans in and out of town, I feel strangely vacant. I don't have anything immediate to ponder- I mean, except, of course the meaning of life but that's an everyday thing. I don't have anything pressing to plan. It's an odd feeling. I have nothing moving me.

Like how the gym fills up mere weeks before Memorial Day, with everyone pushing for bikini bods. Or watching all seven seasons of a television series because you want to know how it all ends and then when it all ends you feel a little sad inside. There was so much excitement and even anxiety leading up to this giant weekend and now that it's over and very little went the way I had imagined it, including my hair- even my hair fell a little flat, I'm left with no check lists or wants or needs. Just this question: "what's next"?

Well, reflecting on this weekend of the universe doing what it wanted with my plans, I had this strange, scary but calming thought. The answer: Tomorrow.

How freakin' Rhett Butler of me, right?! But for real, it's not always about the next thing or the next challenge. Yes, everyday I want to challenge myself to be better than I was yesterday. So, that's it, then.  Tomorrow is next. And I get to do with it whatever I please. I am next.

Repurposed happiness

Today's happiness is this Drive-Thru Records Starting Line t-shirt from 2002.

 My friend found in an old box last week and, knowing my sentimental attachment to the band, decided I should have it. It's a men's large so I could never wear it as anything but a night shirt unless I repurposed it so today I turned it into a gym shirt.

 I've been wanting to make a workout shirt like this for a while and I'm so excited I did it with this ole thing.

It got me thinking about repurposing old things and giving yourself new happiness from them. How in life, something may have reached it's capacity for being useful- like a friend or a job or a place you frequent that you've grown out of or too old for- but that doesn't always mean you should toss it aside.

Repurpose it.

Friends come into our lives for a reason, when they've served their purpose, sometimes it is best to let them ago, I'm just saying don't be so hastey about it. It's possible they have more to offer- even if it's just a life lesson. It's how I feel about this old shirt; my friend didn't want it, I couldn't wear it as it was, but I found a way to make it useful again.

Maybe I'm reaching, here. Maybe I just turned an old ratty tee into a razorback gym shirt and I'm grasping for some greater meaning. But I know it got my mind working and my body-- I worked out twice today (once in the shirt and once in something else). I dunno...  Here's hoping the new old shirt brings out the best of me!!

Motivational Monday (I know it's Tuesday): Do Good

This week, I spent Monday focusing on preparing my fundraiser for the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer cause. I made arrangements with my boss to give rewards for donations at our weekly poker tournament. Any $5 or more donated to the cause would recieve a chip bonus.

While I know that our poker players enjoy a good chip bonus to give them an advantage over the rest and this was solid motivation for them to give money, the majority went above and beyond the $5 minimum.

I was so moved and proud of the response during week one of this charity chip bonus. I raised $230 from players and co-workers putting in $5, $20, $35, $50 and $75! I'm grateful to work in a place that would offer up this reward program to help me raise funds for a cause that affects one in eight women (from a diagnostic standpoint, nevermind the varying degrees of association that women and men have to cancer through loved ones being diagnosed). 

I'm even more blessed to work in a place that would not only offer this reward program, but throw a couple bucks at it themselves. Whether it was my boss, managers or collaborative effort amongst the staff, I was given an envelope with $100 at the start of poker last night. That means that through this place, alone, I have raised $330. In one week of promoting this charity chip bonus system.

We still have two weeks left!

So this Monday's motivation was doing good. One of the greatest things you can do in life is to give and do for others who may never know you've done so.

If you shoulf feel the urge to make a donation to the American Cancer Society's fight to "Make More Birthdays" visit the donation site: www.makingstridesknoxville.org 

TEAM NAME: Raiders of the Lost Racks

PARTICIPANT: Jaclyn Cancro

Thank you in advance... SAVE THE TATAS!

found treasures

I found this near the UT gardens on my run yesterday. I know it technically says "KO" as in, this run is gonna knock you out or the more positive, you're gonna Knock Out this run. But I chose to read as "OK" as in, you're okay and you've got this and one more K (kilometer). New hobby: find running treasures!

MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY: make "tomorrow" today.

I'm kicking off a new challenge that allows for no "tomorrows." It's a 30 Day challenge, which means you can't put off today's assignment for tomorrow. It will be something to do in addition to training and running, but it will definitely get my butt (literally and figuratively) in gear for Halloween. Hmm... what shall I be this year?!

The workout is only a jumpstart for a day full of accomplishments and productivity. Too often, I sherk responsibility and requirements, telling myself I can get it done another time. Well, no more!

It's time to stop putting things off and make tomorrow today!

MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY: Moto Blast

I've been posting my Motivational Mondays on Facebook and neglected to include them on the blog. So, I figure I should keep the blogosphere apprised of my motivating tidbits, after all, that’s what Spinning My Wheels is about; finding your “get-up and go”! Without further adieu,  here are the summer’s Motivational Monday posts. 

Motivational Monday: replace discipline with pretty much whatever you want, "life", "happiness", etc. Back to bootcamp to start the new week, new month, new day. It doesn't have to be a Monday or the first of the month to start anew or to quit an old, you simply have to want it and want it the most. What do you want most?!  

Motivational Monday: on my way... where are you heading? What are you doing to get there? Are you closer today than yesterday? Move forward. Get started today! 

Motivational Monday: sometimes it rains and the adventure of a new running trail with my running buddy must be put off for another day but that doesn't mean Today is lost. Psyched for our run next week. Currently seeking adventure elsewhere. 

Motivational Monday: the world gets pretty loud sometimes. Bills, boys, looming birthdays. The grind stops for no one. Finding a productive escape is the best way I know how to get through it. Headphones on. World off. Hitting the trail! 

Motivational Monday: No one is going to do the work for you. No one is going to lace up your trainers and hit the trail for you. And no one is going to move FOR you when you don't feel like moving. But it sure helps to have like-minded people around to support and encourage and count on you when you need it- even when you don't need it. Today's motivation is my like-minded friends, who don't do it FOR me but certainly motivate me to do it for myself! Thanks, friends. 

Motivational Monday: after a weekend of birthday treats and ballpark eats with this run calling my name since Saturday, I decided I was overdue. I bought new inserts to convert my old shoes for trail runs (sidebar: Superfeet inserts are amazing!), I packed the sports bra when I left for New Jersey (because you always bring run clothes on overnight trips - you never know) and the determination showed up somewhere between miles two and three (you don't always start feeling ready, but somewhere along the way it finds you). #gettinit #gettinfit 

There Was a Young Woman Who Lived With Her Shoes

I put some things on the list that weren’t necessarily “want” but “need” to dos. I moved out of my old apartment that I had lived in for nearly five years and put on the list, “pack the apartment.” In packing, I discovered that my shoes held secrets and memories of my past that no other inanimate object could…

I happened upon a few pair of shoes that were ludicrous. I’m sure at the time of purchase, I thought they were the hottest little numbers to ever grace a shoe rack. I found a pair of patent leopard print pumps, a pair of giant snakeskin with 1-inch gold platforms and 5-inch gold heels and a pair of 6-inch black scaled wedges with gold detailing; my animal shoes! Not a single one was bought at full-price. Not a single one has been worn more than a handful of times. And not a single pair will ever be thrown away. The real value of these shoes is found in their silliness. The sheer gaud and audacity that it takes one to slip her little puppies into shoes like these is unmatchable. Imagine Superman without red underwear outside of his blue tights. Imagine the Hulk with his shirt ON. Imagine Mr. Fantastic in a suit that doesn’t stretch. This is a girl without incredible shoes; merely mortal. The snakeskin with gold bottoms are my invincible Jersey Girl shoes. They were purchased on sale at a time in my life when I wasn’t feeling very powerful but by golly, when she put on those pumps if she wasn’t a whole new woman. They’re ridiculous, they’re bold, they’re somewhat atrocious, but they’re golden (pun intended). To rid myself of these shoes would be forfeiting the fun of life and letting go of the courage that one must embrace to feel okay with oneself when all seems sad and lost.

I picked up a pair of Steve Madden peep toes, satin white with assorted red, green, yellow and grey polka dots, a ½ inch red platform and thin red heel. I pondered the last time I’d donned them. It couldn’t have been within the last two years. I remembered when and where and why I bought them. It was the summer of 2007 for my twenty-second birthday. I had found an adorable yellow dress and these little gems were half price. I remember that night and that summer like they were yesterday. I had the best group of girlfriends that a freshly graduated college girl could have. We were carefree, frivolous and fun. And so were my new pumps. To celebrate my birthday we went out on the lake, got sun burned, then went out to the club and danced all night. The memory of feeling young and vibrant and beautiful still warms my heart – almost as much as the summer sun on Lake Loudon kissing our skin that day. The odds that I, in my late twenties, will ever slip my feet back into polka dotted pumps again – except to walk down memory lane or dress up as Wonder Woman– are slim, but to rid myself of those shoes would be to throw away a beautiful memory of a glorious time in my life.
Sometimes the sale is the memento. Knowing that I’m more savvy than anyone else who owns these shoes and I’m not a sucker who paid full price for them gives them more value than any dollar amount ever could. I found a pair of brown slouch boots, circa 1982 about five years ago at the Goodwill on Chapman Highway for four dollars. They have earned their value at least ten fold. I found them pre-1980’s/90’s comeback but knew they were gems. They’ve withstood the test of time.

Some shoes don’t make it 20 years, though. Some just make it 200 miles. My running shoes are constantly changing. I’m working with really attractive and comfortable red and blue Asics right now. They’re the shoes I ran my half in and I’ll keep them for that memory, but most running shoes get tossed after a few months because they’ve been worn down. Even though I know they’ll be in the trash a few months after I purchase them, I still establish a relationship with these shoes. They take me places, literally. They achieve goals and set personal records with me. They’re a part of me. Without my running shoes; Asics, Mizuno, Nike, Brooks or some other brand, I couldn’t be a runner. These shoes complete me, quite literally – not Jerry McGuire style, actually complete me. Without them, I’d be Fred Flintstone. I’d be lost. I couldn’t achieve all I set out do to on my feet.

Shoes make me who I am. They empower me, they hold memories, they accomplish goals with me. They are a piece of me that no person, place or thing could ever match. Sure, I run with friends. I go dancing with friends. But my shoes make the experience that much more to me. My shoes? My shoes make me… me! Moving out of my old place was tough, but it was wonderful because I got to remember the past and the history and the memories that make me who I am.

MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY

Trying something new. I've found that it motivates me to motivate others. I'm inspired by being inspirational. So, while it may not be an item off the list, the list is meant to make me go and make me do. Thus, I'm introducing Motivational Mondays! A reason to go. A reason to do. And if you don't have one, you can use mine for the day, week, month or however long you need it! Today's motive: the haters. Vengeful? Perhaps. Spiteful? Probably. But nothing shuts them up faster than seeing you do you without hearing a word they say!

Hi, hater! I did me today, did you?!

HALF way there.

When I was in high school, my JV field hockey coach ran a full marathon for her 26^th birthday. A marathon in 26.2 miles, which means she ran 26 miles to commemorate and celebrate each year of her life. Having never been much of a runner myself, I doubted I could ever reach such a milestone and I never took training for a race very seriously.

This year, though, as my roommate was planning to run her second half marathon – do the math, now, that’s right: 13.1 miles, she decided for me that I was going to run the Knoxville Covenant Health Half Marathon with her. Still not 100% convinced I had it in me, I said “okay” with little, to no conviction.

When I first started running for sport – not just away from attackers and toward food – the challenge was building my will to continue. Not that I was lacking stamina or strength, but that I thought I was. I developed a mantra, “what kind of person will I be if I stop running?” I’d be a quitter. Not wanting that, I’d push on through pain and uncertainty. Over time, the mantra evolved into, “what kind of person will I be when I finish?” The satisfaction of completing a goal is that much more motivating than the disappointment of failure. This is true in life as well. In fact, I’ve found that a lot of what’s true in running is also true in life. A lot of the time, I don’t feel like running or seeping out of bed, for that matter. With this idea of, “what kind of person will I be when I finish,” I find the will to get up and go even when I don’t feel like it. Even if my body or my mind aren’t able to achieve the day’s running goal, to get up and do it is half the battle. It’s a life lesson: get up and go – “it” being a run or life in general. Nike’s had it right for a long time, “Just Do It!”

After several weeks of training, building our distance from three and four miles to eight and ten, race day finally arrived. Still not 100% convinced I had it in me, I woke up at 5:30 am and laced up for the half. The race took me from downtown, through campus, along the river, down Cherokee Boulevard, along Third Creek Greenway and Tyson Park, into Fort Sanders and finally finishing in Neyland Stadium. It took me from excited, through anxious, along pain and discomfort, into anticipation and finally finishing with the biggest swelling surge of endorphins and pride I’d ever felt in my life. As I reached the 11-mile marker, I thought to myself, “two more miles? You’ve already done this five and a half times today. Easy.” As I reached 12, I thought, “one more mile? Push harder.” And when I saw 13, I thought, “you’ve been training for this and you’re about to complete it. You’ve done it.” I opened my stride and I sprinted into Neyland Stadium and nearly cried as I crossed the finish line and a hulking UT football player put a medal around my neck. Two hours and eleven minutes later, weeks of training had brought me to a finish line I never imagined I could cross. Proud!

My relationship with running changed dramatically through my training. Previously, I thought Forrest Gump was the definition of a “runner;” go far, go fast, go for days without an ounce of self-doubt. Previously, I was wrong. The running community is an amazing one full of encouraging words, Internet groups and motivating memes. It’s not exclusive to the Gumps and Steve Prefontaines of the world. It’s open to anyone brave enough to lace up and take on a new challenge. Even if the challenge is to run to your street sign, that’s how it starts. I’m ready to train for that full now. I know I’ve got it in me. There’s no greater feeling than setting out to accomplish a goal and then… actually accomplishing it.

 

In the words of famous runner and author John Bigham, “I am a runner because I run. Not because I run fast. Not because I run far. I am a runner because I say I am. And no one can tell me I’m not.”

Day 156: 24-hour fast

I Feel Like DJ Tanner

I thought, initially, "24 hour fast: that could be neat. Gandhi did all the time." With my beach vacation quickly approaching, I decided to try one of those lemonade, cayenne pepper diets. A nice two day pre-beach push for flat and skinny. The first day would begin at midnight on the 156th day of my challenge. It would end 15 hours and 20 minutes later.

I made two liters of the so-called "lemonade," amped and ready to be a bikini bomb shell in 48 hours.
I drank a half liter and decided, a bikini bullet casing would do.

The thing is I workout fairly regularly. I run, I lift, I eat healthy. I indulge in booze and fatty foods from time to time but all in moderation and rarely to my own detriment. I keep a decently healthful lifestyle. I would be throwing myself on the proverbial gym room floor in classic DJ Tanner fashion attempting to achieve something I've already got; a body I'm happy with.

Diets and fasts cause, what my nutrition genius roommate calls, "metabolic damage." My metabolism works pretty well already. I've learned how to eat properly so that it would. There's no quick fix for the slight roll here or the way elastic may pinch there. She pointed out I could cut back on carbs and water to see a moderate difference in three days and I may. Ultimately, I'm ok with how I look, even if the girls under the umbrella next to me look better. It's sort of like that episode of Sex and the City, Season 2, Episode 17, where the girls realize they'd rather be comfortable where they are in their lives than desperately grasping at some perfection that doesn't exist.

Why hurt my metabolic system in such a fashion for a few days on the beach, which are meant to be for relaxation and enjoying the company and comfort of close friends? I see no reason.

Day 75: Shop Union Ave.

Knoxville is full of hidden gems. You could spend a year here from Halls to Farragut and never revisit the same place. Working downtown, I began to notice shops on Union Avenue sprouting up like happy little retail lilies all in a row. Earlier, in March, with spring fast approaching, I thought it would be a great idea to visit each store on Union Avenue, plucking each lily until I had a lovely bouquet of Knoxville treasures.

The day before St. Patrick’s Day was a beautiful one this year. My mother was in town from New Jersey, so I used the opportunity to spend some quality time with her by strolling the streets of downtown and checking this item off my list on Day 75. We began at Gay Street and worked our way west. The first shop we visited was Räla: Regional and Local Artisans. Räla is a self-proclaimed “shoppery;” part shop and part gallery. Most notable to me were vintage postcards and magnets that read, “Greeting from Knoxville” and “Somebody in Knoxville Loves Me.” The art isn’t just decorative and Knoxville specific, they also carry salts from Atlanta, GA, infused with truffle and rosemary good for cooking just about anything.

We stopped at the corner of Union and Market Square. The location has seen several vendors come and go in the last few years, but none as perfect for Knoxville as Rococo Boutique. According to their website, the store’s name comes from a time period in France when art, architecture, interior design and fashion were used to bring a sense of whimsy back to a region that had become too serious. With “Laugh Out Loud Stationary,” children’s clothes, jewelry and home décor made from found objects and the ability to custom design anything from a business card to a building mural; the Boutique is working to bring that same type of whimsy to Knoxville. My favorite find at the shop was a small bronze necklace. It’s a small frame and inside, printed on emerald paper, was the longitude and latitude of Knoxville. This particular piece was made at the shop, where they have regular jewelry making classes with local artists. The next class is Saturday April 13. 

For the next block, we decided to work west to east from Walnut Street, making the next stop The Tree and Vine, an olive oil and balsamic tasting shop. The shop is refreshing to set foot in, like a spa. Immediately to your right is a long tasting bar with every kind of infused Olive Oil and Balsamic that you can imagine. They sell these in 50, 150 and 375 ml bottles. A shop that sells olive oil wouldn’t be complete without an assortment of pots, pans and other kitchen utensils for sale as well. I, personally, am saving up for a wok! In addition, they sell gourmet pastas, chips, and trail mixes. After tasting nearly every flavor they had to offer, we purchased a Sun Dried Tomato, Garlic and Parmesan infused olive oil for cooking pastas, vegetables and rice, a Chipotle infused olive oil, which my mother has already made spicy chili with and a balsamic infused with Blueberry and Cinnamon Pear (this is two flavors combined because I couldn’t decide) for anything from salad to drizzling on ice cream – it’s that good.

 

For months now, I had heard wonderful things about a store called Nothing Too Fancy. To be specific, I had seen wonderful things from the store. Every game day in the fall, I saw a new t-shirt with a new clever Vols or Knoxville slogan or logo. I’ve wanted to visit the store ever since, so I made sure it was the last shop we visited. Our finale! Nothing Too Fancy carries mostly locally printed shirts with slogans like “Keep Knoxville Scruffy” and the Knoxville skyline. I was in search of a specific shirt that I’d seen that read “865s” printed like the retro Vols logo from the days of Peyton Manning. There was on left. On clearance. In my size. Yahtzee! There are more treasures to be found there, like earrings made from found art and wallets made locally with silly messages to personalize your life.

 

To end our exploration, we stopped in the Casual Pint for a flight of Pilsners and Porters. My mother, having never had craft beer before was able to check a new item off her list as well. We people watched, drank and marveled at all of our steals and finds.

Later that month, as I walked downtown, I noticed there are two more shops west of Walnut that I had no idea existed on Day 75, Reruns and Union Ave Books.

I ventured over to them just the other day with my friend, Chad. We popped into Reruns and found it was a classy women’s consignment shop. Everything from purses and shoes to belts and coats, but nothing I couldn’t live without so we moved along to next door. We browsed the bookstore. They had great collections of classics and some nice used books for lower prices. We found real joy in the children’s section, where we searched for Waldo longer than any adults should. But, by golly, we found him!