I went for a run yesterday during the heat of the afternoon. I am really and truly in the contemplation stage of becoming a morning person, and even though it seems really self-explanatory, I’m having a difficult time getting to bed at a reasonable time, and when I do wake up early, I feel like I want to stab everyone at least for the first 20 minutes of me being up. I don’t know if there are like some tricks and trips for me to start becoming a morning person. If I could honestly do something that would allow me to sleep less, I would do that. But that’s not really a thing, is it.
Greenway
I managed to shuffle my way over to greenway (yay tax dollars!) and ran in the shade for a while before shuffling back to work, completely drenched.
I still don’t know if it’s enough for me to start being a morning person, but I’m willing to contemplate it.
Do you guys ever feel like you’re just playacting at adulthood?
I do. I still do. And I’m not sure at what point I’ll start feeling like a “real” adult. I’m married, I have a house, I am gainfully employed and can freely move about the cabin that is life, and still, I feel like a kid.
That became the most apparent to me when, last week, I was asked to be on a panel for girls at a boarding school here in Raleigh, as the resident “women in fitness/wellness” person. At first, I wanted to say no because I don’t feel like I’m in any position to be paneling about anything. As we speak, I’m wearing the minimum amount of makeup to make my face passable, and thinking about the over under on whether I can sneak a nap in tonight and still fall asleep at the normal time once my husband gets home.
Am I the kind of person you really want to be talking to your girls?
When I spoke to one of the administrators at the school, she seemed so excited to have me and told me that the girls would love me.
Whatever you say boss.
I’m not sure at what point I will start feeling serious. Maybe it will be if or when I have kids. Maybe it will be when I don’t feel like I have to clean my house like a demon when I know people are coming over. Maybe it will be when I don’t consider candy and salads to be equally important food groups to my mental health. Maybe it will be when I don’t accidentally say “shit” in front of my boss’s boss because I dropped my work-issued laptop on its head. I’m not sure.
At what point will I start feeling like a real adult?
So, first-off, if period and vagina stuff makes you uncomfortable, maybe this post isn’t for you. But we’re all grown-ups, so come in! Ladies, let’s chat. Men, learn something that you can help your wife out with!
I have cramps for the first legitimate time in like, 5 years.
Thanks to Mirena (which we will talk about fully here in the future), I’ve managed to live, work, and run without much period or issue, which has been really really nice. But Mirena lasts for a measly 5 years (totally kidding about the measly part), and it was coming up on time for me to get it taken out. I’d made arrangements with my gyno to start on the pill prior to having it removed, which meant there was no gap in my coverage, but it means that for the first time in 5 years, I’m having a full-blown period with cramps, bleeding, bloating, and now I’m looking for a way to deal with it that isn’t necessarily going to require a sideline for me – especially on those weeks when I have a long trail run that could require me to change a tampon in the middle of the run. Which is gross, but hey, it happens.
So my running and period options (given that I have a 12-miler on Sunday) are this, depending on where we are on Sunday.
via DrugStore.com
I’ve been a fan of Playtex Sport for a while, and prior to me getting my Mirena, they were all I used, a lot in part because Playtex sponsored the state school I went to, so in my time at URec, all I’d have to do was scoop up a giant armful of them, and not have to worry about spending a dime on the stuff while I was living off of a student loan and a server’s paycheck.
Playtex sport was great because it was one of the more comfortable tampons I’ve used, and seemed to stay put when I was teaching classes or working out. I have not yet run a ton of mileage because I wasn’t running at the time, but I can say that for my activity level, epescially when I was at camp in the Poconos, that it it really did alright. Now, one thing I didn’t love was the scent that they put in all of their tampons – there’s no way it can be good for your stuff, and I don’t think that can be great for the environment, right?
So, though I’d given something called Instead a try in high school, which I really couldn’t get to stay in place, I reconsidered the Diva Cup. A friend of mine, Melanie, is making an epic journey across the world, and if you’ve ever traveled, you sort of know that tampons aren’t usually something you can just find at your local CVS, especially when you’re hiking 15 plus miles a day. She started using the Diva Cup, and recommended I try it. I researched it, and picked one up the other day.
Diva Cup
Now, it looks a little intimidating, but evidently, you can keep it in for 12 hours, and the way it works is that you sort of fold it up, Nuva Ring style, pop it in, and once you get it to sit in place correctly, which is the tricky part in the beginning, you can wear it for up to 12 hours without any leakage, or a string sticking out (which unfortunately can cause some chafing difficulty as well).
I tried it over night. After a few trial times of getting it in, I got it to sit correctly and walked around comfortably and was able to sleep without any leaks or having to get up and changed anything. Plus the bit about poisoning yourself or the environment (which sounds super dramatic, I know), is taken care of by the fact that it’s a thick, rubberized material, not bleached and scented cotton. If you’re into that sort of thing.
So I will try to keep you guys posted on how this is continuing to work out for me, especially as I continue my prep for Chicago.
My super-active girls – how do you successfully deal with your period while you remain active?
I needed a few days off, and I think summer is a good time to do that. Things at work have definitely picked up, especially since I’m working on finishing up the August schedule. I’ve started to find a really good balance, and I’m not teaching as much as I was, just once or twice a week, and as needed.
A little over a year ago, when I got my job, I was a little skeptical when Matt, my boss, encouraged me to drop my Saturday class. I didn’t understand why that would be necessary, or why it might be necessary for me to pare down, but he was right, and it sort of feels good to delegate some of my weekly classes. And when I actually do teach, it feels more therapeutic than exhausting.
But anyhoo…
So yesterday, I had the pleasure of doing another photoshoot with Jess Ekstrom, the founder of Headbands of Hope. Headbands of Hope is a really incredible organization that Jess started when she was in undergrad at NC State. I’ve mentioned them on the blog before, but if you’re not familiar with the company, for every headband purchased, a headband is given to a child with cancer, and $1 is donated to cancer research. Jess and I met while we were working at URec at State, and I guess she thinks I’m cool enough to do their shoots, so I’ve been involved with a few projects of hers.
So for the shoot, we had help from Carolyn Scott of Carolyn Scott photography, a really cool photographer here in Raleigh who has a real unique, dusky quality to all of her photos. Here’s a little sneak peek of some of the photos.
The shoot followed a bridal theme, so Caroline, of Vestique, played our bride, and provided the rompers for us, which I absolutely loved. They were so comfortable, and had that awesome flutter sleeve that added an element of drama to the look. I almost thought for a second that a romper could have been fun for my girls, but they would have absolutely killed me, right?
It was a great, amazing way to kick off the rest of the week, and when I saw the pics, I was so happy they’re going to convey how bomb HoH is.
This is really one of those things that makes me put my head into my hands, willing the migraine I feel coming on to go away.
It’s kind of thing, much like the there/their/they’re your/you’re to/too thing that literally makes me want to rip all my hair out. But this one has been relegated to the runner’s portion of of society because of our issues, what happens when one area of the body performs a repetitive motion. Or in my case, it’s what happens to my thighs, between my boobs, and the skin that peeks out right underneath my armpit when I run for anything more than like 8 miles.
Certain shorts exacerbate this problem in my thighs.
It always happens between my boobs because I tend to lose weight when I’m in a serious training cycle, and my boobs move around a little more within the confines of their cage.
And it likes to happen when I’m wearing a tank top or those cute running tops with the cap sleeves on them.
During Ragnar in Vegas, I made a critical error when I wore the diaper, the Norts that all you cute college kids are wearing with your tall cotton socks, to run my first 13-mile leg in. I knew I was in trouble right around the 8-mile mark, and spent the remainder of my time trying to sanitarily (which is not a word, according to the red squiggly that’s appeared underneath) rub the shared stick of body glide on my thighs.
What I’m referring to is chafing.
Not chaffing.
Chafing.
And I’m writing about it today, not to tell you how to avoid it, cause I really don’t even know. But more so to tell you how deeply it offends me when you spell it chaffing.
It’s gross.
Stop doing it.
It looks like it should be pronounced “laughing” when you spell it that way. I don’t take you seriously as a running/fitness blogger when you spell it that way. It doesn’t make me want to offer you my body glide when you spell it that way.
When you spell it that way, it detracts from your overall message.
Please. Running bloggers. People who post a lot on the running forums. Moms who utilize Desitin. Cyclists who use Chammy Butter. It’s chafing. For the love of God.
Hi! (Whenever I say that, it makes me think of this vine).
I hope you guys had a good 4th. I went to Atlanta with some friends from Elon, while my husband headed to his mom’s to help her move some stuff. It was really cool to see my friends, some of whom I haven’t seen since Elon Homecoming last year. Everyone seems like they’re doing well, and we all get a huge kick out of giving each other a hard time.
Peep how cute this high-waisted bikini I snagged from ModCloth is!
I appreciate the vintage style, and I snagged this bikini because I saw this style on a few girls at the beach last week, and was impressed by how forgiving it was.
How I Landed my Job
First off, I totally stole this from Kristyn at Chits and Giggles, who took us through how she landed her gig at Coca-Cola. It was really interesting because I too came to my job in a fun way, and I’m always interested to see how other folks land their jobs.
So, I am a Group Fitness Director at a Y here. The job is amazing, incredible, and I feel often like I’m living a dream with the position.
So the way I got it.
I’m not sure I even quite realized that being a Group Fitness Director was a thing until I worked for UREC at NC State. Suddenly, what I wanted to do started to become clear. My heart was in group fitness, teaching, weight loss, nutrition, and counseling, and I wasn’t really sure how to do it.
One of the best things I ever did was to get a job with Fleet Feet Raleigh shortly after I graduated, and I’m so grateful that Bob (owner) took a chance on me, and I’ll tell you why in just a minute.
So, in the summer of 2012, the woman who was in my position moved on from the job, and I applied for the position a clueless 20-something with not a whole lot of job experience. I think I remember the interview going well, but not having networked a ton around Raleigh, and not having a ton of job experience, the position went to another candidate, and I was devastated. For a few days after I got the news that I didn’t get the job, I took the hit extremely personally, and cried for days.
After crying, I think I wasn’t entirely sure what my next move should be, and I asked people around me what I should do. A few people were angry on my behalf, and told me that I should quit teaching my classes and sever all ties with the Y. And I think deep down, we all have that desire in there, but the thought of not teaching my classes anymore there was really even more devastating. I made the conscious decision to stick it out there, stick with Fleet Feet Raleigh, and begin applying to jobs, learning about the field, and networking with the hopes of eventually becoming Group X Director.
Fleet Feet Raleigh
I’d like to take a second here to talk about my time with Fleet Feet Raleigh (FFR), which I really need to credit for a lot. Fleet Feet Raleigh is a running specialty shop, specializing in running. Running shoes, apparel, nutrition, and hydration is our bread and butter. I have to credit FFRal with helping me to grow as a candidate. In my time there, Bob (our fearless leader), encouraged and supported my foray into this blog, provided me leadership opportunities, allowed me to learn and play with social media, and really provided me the tools I needed to become more marketable in this field. He and his wife, Kathy, are truly the bomb.
So, last year, in the thick of us preparing to get married, I received word along with the monthly schedule requests that our Group Fitness Director was moving on elsewhere. I wanted to go for it again, but I was honestly afraid of how humiliated I might feel if I didn’t get the job again. One night, walking around the mall parking lot, I asked Austin about what he thought. He was supportive, told me to go for it, and reminded me that if I didn’t get it for whatever reason, that I shouldn’t beat myself up, and that it didn’t mean that I wasn’t valuable.
So I sent Matt, my current boss, an email, and explained that I had applied for the position once before, and hadn’t gotten it, but was still interested. He responded, and called me within the next few days, and asked if I’d like to set up an interview.
!!!
I really don’t remember a ton about that first interview to be honest, because I was trying to approach it as chill as possible. Matt called me a few days later and asked me to come back for a second interview, this one an interview with maybe four people there. That was was intimidating, but I really tried to speak from my heart. I talked about my passion for group fitness. I talked about not getting the position before and the grown I felt like I’d had in the 2(ish) years since. I just was really honest.
Again, a few days later, Matt called and asked me to come in to meet with our branch director. This interview was really more like a chat, and Dan was really warm and welcoming to me. Again, I was really trying to be chill about this whole thing, so I tried not to get too excited, and with each meeting, I made sure to send a thank you and remind myself that if this didn’t go my way, there was probably a reason why it wouldn’t work out.
Matt stayed in touch with me. He assigned me to evaluate a class one weekend. He checked in with me regarding salary. And finally, one day when I was at work, I recognized Matt’s phone number.
“Hey Cheri! Is now a good time?”
Is that a trick question…
“We just want to thank you so much for going through this process with us..”
Oh dammit. He’s breaking up with me…prepare for it…here it comes…
“…With the passion and the growth you’ve demonstrated…and…we just wanted to go ahead and offer you the position. Now we don’t want you to answer us today, I want you to take a day or two to think about it..”
!!!
One fist went up in the air. But I had to keep it together so I wouldn’t look like a jerk on the phone and so I wouldn’t distract from the regular day going on at my job.
Needless to say I took the job. And I have not looked back. I truly feel like I’m living my dream. I get to teach classes, schedule classes, supervise a large staff, and develop my skills at a nonprofit – all things I feel truly passionate about. I actually enjoy going to my job, and can see myself there for a long time, and hope that they feel the same about.
I did it! We made it! Sober June absolutely flew by, and I did it without any cheating! No alcohol for a month!
Sober June
I have to admit, I was really intimidated by the entire idea of not drinking for a month. We’re dinks, I’m a runner, and I’ve centered a lot of my social activities around drinking for as long as I can remember.
I go to run club, run a few miles, then drink a beer.
I invite friends to catch up over dinner, we order some beers.
I’m working on the group fitness schedule for the next month, and I would pour a glass of wine to keep me occupied as I sifted through emails, making sure that we didn’t have any holes for the following month. It was just something I did.
But I read Andy Cohen’s book when it came out late last year, and he made mention of doing a sober January, which was really curious. Andy loves to drink, and features a drinking game on his show, which sometimes airs 4 nights per week during the high season. But he did it! So maybe I could, right?
So like I mentioned here, a friend posted on Facebook about 5 or 6 weeks back that he was curious about what it took to do a sober June. I was intrigued, and after a really good hangover, and a horrendous bout with strep throat, (or strep thoat as they say here in the south). I was ready to be done with alcohol for a while. So I jumped, both feet in, after reading a few articles on going sober for a month, and went for it.
Surprisingly, after a day or two, it wasn’t super hard! I drank lots of other things. Seltzers, fake beers, coffee, and tons of water, but I never felt a huge urge to grab a beer and start chugging.
A few times when it was hard?
I had a stressful day at work, and instead of heading home that night, which I really couldn’t afford, I headed to a coffee shop where beer was also served. I really wanted a glass of wine, which I had gotten used to treating myself to, like if you get your work done, you’re “allowed” this treat. The feeling was short-lived, and I decided on a cup of tea instead.
It was a smidge hard at first with dinner, when you just wanted a beer.
But other than that, it really wasn’t so complex.
As I write this, it’s the first of July, and I haven’t run to the store for a bottle of wine. Even better, I’m thinking of running to the store for fro-yo later. I believe I plan to drink on the 4th, as I’m going to visit friends, and I’ve planned on it all month. But one good thing about this is I don’t necessarily feel the need to drink in a social situation. And I think that that’s what this month of sobriety has taught me.
Me and Austin. We’re one of those couples who LOVES to do stuff together, but we’re also complete and utter workaholics. We work tirelessly, go to the gym at some point at the end of the day, and are lucky to catch half an episode of Orange is the New Black before falling into bed, exhausted. For weeks, we’d been talking about going somewhere, anywhere just the two of us, so that we could enjoy one another. Finally, after a particularly rough Wednesday, I told Austin to pick between the mountains and the beach, and he picked the beach for us. Thank…GOD.
Saturday morning, we woke up to cloudy skies here in Raleigh, but we were really determined to get the hell out of dodge and enjoy a little vacay, something we probably haven’t done silly Kelly invited us to Fripp in March of 2014. (Shame on us, but we got married!).
Once we got to Wilmington, I was starting to get really hungry, so Austin stopped for a salad for me, and then we drove straight to the beach. I de-robed in the car (thank you kindly to Kia for my tinted back windows), threw on a coverup, and off to the beach went. As soon as we sat down, we were pelted by rain, and we both looked at each other nervously, praying that the rain would stop. And almost as soon as it started, it was gone.
The weather was perfect, but due to some storms, the sea was really really rough, and going in much further than waist-deep was a little dicey, as the water was really pulling, and hard. Austin and I alternated between splashing around, and reading books for hours and hours. I forgot how much I really love the beach, and I didn’t really want to leave on Saturday when we did, but a windstorm picked up and started to make it really hard to do much of anything. When we left, I’d wrapped a blanket around my head to protect my eyes…
Austin somehow managed to snap a pic as the wind was whipping around…
I texted Alexa while we were at the beach as she’s the donut specialist, and asked here where we could find a good donut in the area where we were. She pointed me to a place that was literally 500 feet from where we were sitting. Austin and I both ate two of Britt’s Donuts, the freshest and warmest donuts I’ve ever had. Totally worth the trip if you’re in Carolina Beach.
We ate dinner at Dockside, a seafood place that we visited on the first spring break we went to Wilmington on. I managed to get through dinner without a drink (still sober!) and then we hit a local gated community for a brisk walk before it started storming, which is pretty typical for out there.
When we got back to the hotel, we were like two kids. We explored the hotel for a little while – checked out the pool, the breakfast nook and the fitness center…
I hopped on the treadmill for a little while in my dress and my flip flops while Austin tested the weight machines.
Sunday morning, we woke up and enjoyed a breakfast at the Best Western, and I treated myself to Frosted Flakes, forgetting that eating cereal ALWAYS makes me feel like shit. Luckily, we walked for over an hour on the beach, and that passed quickly. The best part of the walk was the fact that we happened upon a wedding on the beach, and lord KNOWS I love a wedding.
We finished off the day with a trip to the Wilmington Whole Foods. I was desperately craving a salad for the way home, so I told Austin I’d buy him lunch if he would take us to the Whole Foods. It worked, and I got the most Caribbean/Indian salad know to mankind, packed with all sorts of curried “meats” and beans.
The weekend was so so great and relaxing, though way too short.
I ended up coming home kinda late last night because I have a secret life.
After I watched most of the soccer game (yay US women) with some friends and a fake cocktail, I scooted a little early so that I could jump in the shower (I was all gross after running with a friend earlier) and quickly get ready for a gig I had with an underground rapper in town. As I was at the show, enjoying some of the artists, and before Mark “Franchise” Jusino performed, I realized how funny it all seemed. I’m a Director at the Y. No one in the entire world suspects that I’m out at a venue that serves no food, singing to an audience of rappers and their supporters. But there I was. Isn’t life funny?
So along those lines, I ate a Reese’s big cup yesterday (before I taught a class, no less) and I was thinking about those things that I love, that I’m sort of embarrassed to admit, as a somewhat healthy person that I enjoy. I hope you guys still like me after.
Reese’s Big Cup
Big Cup
This thing is such treat for me. I’ve long sung the praises of the Reese’s Big Cup, but I need to reiterate, this treat is FANTASTIC, mainly because of the peanut butter to chocolate ratio. I love getting one of these from the gas station, saving it til I get home, and eating it when I feel the need for the sugar/salty goodness to hit my lips.
York Peppermint Patties
York Mint Patty, as my husband so sweetly calls them.
I don’t need to talk about why these are incredible and amazing. I really don’t. They just are.
A cold bubbly something. A seltzer is the best. A diet sprite will do.
Cold seltzer. It’s not bad for you per se, but I think it’s sort of abrasive on your teeth. But one of these while you’re just cruising down the street in your white Kia Soul, listening to trashy pop. But I usually have to hide the cup. A BK Lounge Cup is never ever a good look at work.
A pop tart with a cup of coffee.
Not this flavor. That is disgusting. But the strawberry with a cup of coffee is perfect. Also 400 calories and an indecent amount of sugar, but, it’s a TREAT.
As a reminder, I totally do enjoy this stuff, but I’m not a total pig. This is a once-in-a-while thing that I really really enjoy, which is how I mange to maintain a decent level of health.
For anyone keeping up with my sober June deal, you’ll be please to know that I am still sober, and it’s such not a big deal, that there really is not reason to update you on it. I feel good, and I think after getting over the initial fear that you’ve shot all your friendships in the foot by not drinking, it really isn’t bad. I think Nene of RHOA recently went on Kelly and Michael to talk about her experience with her cleanse and she said this, according to E! Online.
“So I go and I have all these tricks,” she revealed. “I said water in a wine glass. Last night I went to the Polo Club here in New York and I said, ‘I’ll have a Red Bull’ and they were like ‘We don’t have a Red Bull but we will send someone down the street.’ So they got me a Red Bull and I wanted it in a wine glass. Everything to make me feel like I’m having a cocktail.”
I totally agree, and have had a much easier time when I can go in with a trick that keeps me hydrated, and also keeps folks off my ass with questions about what I’m doing. Austin asked me the other day if I’ll keep it up, and I imagine that after this 30 days, my drinking will look a little different than it did before.
Weekend Updates
I hope you guys had a good weekend. I took a little break from the blog because with all the devastating news last week, largest of all, the massacre out of Charleston, I really didn’t feel like it was at all appropriate for me to be blathering on about the minutiae of life when a monster had taken the lives of 9 innocent people in Charleston. The thing I keep thinking of is when I saw Stevie Wonder in April, and he sat down at his piano, and started his nearly 4-hour concert with Love’s in Need of Love Today. This act in Charleston was one of pure madness and hatred, and there is nothing that’s more ugly or evil. It reminds me to keep living each day to the fullest.
Ok, I’m sorry, I’ll get off my soapbox now.
Switching gears, this weekend was really lovely because I got to teach a bunch and spend a lot of time with my sweet, sweet husband, which we sometimes don’t get to do on the weekends as much. When we woke up on Saturday, I headed out to teach a Cycling class, and then went in and taught a Zumba class straight after, while Austin tried to coax the lawnmower back to health. (He broke it last weekend). When I got home, it was naptime, and then I headed out for a very short run before finally cleaning the house, which had gotten gross over the week.
Sunday morning, I met up with Amy, who trains at the Y, for about 6 miles in the State Park.
It was hot and sticky, and the horseflies were out in full force, but we really zipped along, and I noticed that my knee wasn’t absolutely killing me the entire time. I’ve been really afraid to go hard with a possible meniscus tear in my knee, but since it’s looking like the process of getting it fixed will be a really slow one, I’m staying cautious on it, but not halting all activity. I’m really hoping, if I need a repair on the knee, to do it around the holidays so I can lay low for a while and start training in the late winter and in the spring for any late spring or fall races I want to do.
The one lesson that was reinforced to me this past weekend?
I’m a terrible homemaker.
And it’s not like I don’t love a clean, fresh space, because who doesn’t, right? But the actual consistent action of cleaning up, running a vacuum, clearing mail off the island, changing out the Plug-Ins, sweeping the floor, and throwing in a load of laundry and timing it perfectly so that I can fold it while I’m watching Netflix at night completely escapes me. It frustrates me because a cluttered space makes me really crazy, and I know it frustrates my husband as well, so I really really need to brainstorm a system where I’m doing something cleaning related each day so my house doesn’t straight up get gross. I feel like I’m just not wired to do this stuff though. I’d much rather be writing a letter to my grandmother, or blogging, or running. Washing clothing? Not so much….
How was your weekend? What did you do? Are you good at house stuff?
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Overactive Blogger 