Happy Sunday!

I don’t think I’ve been so tired in a minute!

As I blog, I’m laying in bed at 10:57 pm on a Saturday night, so early because I want to run in the morning.  I’m headed home tomorrow after my run to attend to some family business, and I can honestly tell you guys, I have not been so tired in long time.  I’m tired.  My feet hurt.  I finally got my apartment clean after nearly a week of it looking like a small bomb detonated in here.  And all I’m hoping for is an early bedtime tomorrow at my parents’ house.

photo-2To ease you into this week, I give you, this hot hot pic of my heiny, lookin’ oh so fabulous in my winter tights as I foam roll my hip, which has been talking to me since I taught 2 classes kinda of sick early this week.  I think I was trying to compensate for the fact that I didn’t feel well by dancing the hardest I could and flopping about like Beyoncé when I knew good and well that each mucusy minute, I felt that I was knocking at death’s door.

Nevertheless, I’m feeling far, far better, and I am attempting a 16-miler today prior to my drive to Charlotte.  Wish me luck, and I’ll chat with you guys after I get to Charlotte tomorrow!

 

Here’s What + Rock ‘n’ Roll USA

Don’t you guys worry.  No matter how many times I post on my wedding, how many times I whine about how my throat hurts this week, or how often I blog about my dog, rest absolutely assured that I will never, never forget how and where this started.  And that was a running blog.  That said, if you’ve missed my last few “Here’s What:  What Three Things am I Obsessed With” posts, here they are!

1/31/14

2/7/14

2/14/14

2/21/14

So this week was the week from absolute hell at my real job, and that’s all I will say.  So Happy Friday, beautiful readers!  Now Here’s What Three Things I’m Obsessed with This Week!  

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  • Numero uno is powered by Rock ‘n’ Roll, and yes honey bunnies, I am running the Rock ‘n’ Roll USA 1/2 Marathon, and I couldn’t be more thrilled about it!

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First off, DC is one of my favorite cities in the US, so that certainly doesn’t hurt a race weekend.  Secondly, Rock ‘n’ Roll USA has made some pretty sweet changes this year, a few of which I’ll list for you, real convenient-like!

  1. The 5k.  For folks who feel like they don’t have the time at this point to register for the 1/2 or the full marathon, or for those of you new to what Rock ‘n’ Roll is all about, the 5k will give you a little taste of what Rock ‘n’ Roll does.  At 3.1 gorgeous miles, you’ll still have the cheerleaders and the music to push you along, without necessarily having to commit to a scary distance just yet.
  2. The race is run entirely in the district, which means that you get to run with some amazing monuments as a backdrop.  Seriously, if you’ve never run a race in DC, running with the history of our nation passing you by is a really incredible feeling.
  3. The race is on a Saturday, meaning that it’s not gonna eat up your entire weekend.  And that’s pretty darn cool!

So if you’re interested in signing up, click here.  I will be there, and I will be talking about this race up til the big day, Saturday, March 15th.

  • Speedwork.  I’ve never really put much stock into speedwork before this marathon training (I’m running another Rock ‘n’ Roll in Raleigh in April,) but I’m finding that even though I have to drag myself, kicking and screaming to do it, that once I get started, I love the way I feel, and I totally love the way I feel afterward.  Seriously, I think the endorphins go into overdrive cause I am really, really feeling myself when it’s time to be done with speedwork!
  • Sleep.  I am slightly sick this week, with a little sore throat and some congestion, and all I can think about is sleep.

Early this week at work, I had to go into the utility closet for something, and I fantasized about going all the way to the back of it and napping for a while before my senses took back over.  Sleep, I just wanna hold you.  Mama loves you so much!

Your turn!  What three things are you obsessed with?  

[Full disclosure lady bugs!  I was planning to run Rock ‘n’ Roll USA in prep for April’s marathon, and as a member of the media, I was comped an entry by Rock ‘n’ Roll.  But have no fear because every last opinion is my own, and I will be giving my honest, heartfelt opinion!]

Runner Pop Quiz

Happy Thursday afternoon, beautiful people!  Hope your runs are going well.  Mine are good, save for a little bit of a stuffy nose and a sore throat that I’ve been nursing.  But this hot and cold weather is good weather for getting sick in, right?

Anyhoo, remember pop quizzes?  I think the last one that I took was in religion sophomore year in college and the joke was on Tripp York cause I actually did the reading.   And I can actually recall what the reading was about – about Disney.  Scary.

So I stole this pop quiz from J at Skinny Chick Blog, but she said we could steal it, and she’s a runner too.  I kept the pink font in her honor.  Onto the quiz!  

1.  What weather do you refuse to run in?

I refuse to run when it’s icy out.  We don’t do ice too often here, the sidewalks never get cleared, and as someone who has (very painfully) broken a bone before, I have no interest in doing it again.  

2.  What distance is your “short” run?

My short run is this like, 3 miles loop through downtown Raleigh.  I think Jillian Michaels said one that 3 miles is what you need to stay fit, and I’ve always taken that to heart.  I always have 30 minutes to pop a 3 miler in.  

3.  How do you stay hydrated while running?  Water fountain, carry your own etc.

I carry my own, and sometimes stop at coffee shops and the Whole Foods to fill up my little bottle.  I haven’t worn my backpack in a long time, and I’m just not yet in the mood to wear it.  Handheld it is!  

4.  Music or no music?

Usually music.  Sometimes not if I need to be alone with my thoughts.  

5.  Do you ever run nekkid?  {Without GPS, not literally silly}

Sometimes. When I forget to charge my watch.  But I love it.  

 6.  What is the first thing you do after a run?

Grab some water, and walk the dog, since I know she’s usually been waiting on me for a while.  

7.  What’s your favorite running shoe ever?

You know what?  I’m kind of in a shoe rut.  I work for Fleet Feet, and I have every running shoe at my disposal, and I was a Brooks girl,  I’ve been a Brooks girl for a while.  But here’s me here….

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In a NB (and the review is coming soon!) and I’m still not sure which way I’m gonna go with shoes.  I’m running a half in March, and a full and a half April, and I need to figure it out ASAP, cause I don’t want to be without toenails!

8.  Do you make deals with yourself to finish a tough run?  What are they?

I think usually I just think about food and Austin to get me through the run.  I think about pasta, beer, toast, wine, beer, and my husband-to-be when I’m toward the tail end of a long run.

9.  Two things you can not run without besides kicks?

A good bra.  There’s nothing better than a good bra.  

Boobs!

 

Boobs!

10.  Running has helped me ___________.

Be confident in myself – who I am, my skills, my abilities.  I wouldn’t have had the balls to do a lot that I have in my life without running.  

11.  Are you following a training plan?  If so, what does your weekly routine look like?

I’m following the Hanson method.  Sunday I run long (but not longer than like 16). Monday I run 5, Tuesday a speed run that’s been adding up to like 8ish miles the last few weeks, Wednesday I take a break, Thursday I run 8 fast, Friday I run 5 easy, Saturday I run 5 easy and then I do it all over again.  Mama is TIRED, mmkay!

12.  Be honest, do you regularly stretch + foam roll post run?

I stretch.  And I foam roll a few times a week, but definitely not as much as I should.

So how’d you do on the pop quiz?  Feel free to lift it, answer one or two of these, or just drop in and say hi to me!

 

Weekend recap! (Best weekend evahhh)

So, after the photoshoot on Saturday, I ran, and hopped in the car to head to Charlotte because I got me and Deb some tickets to see Demi Lovato. So first things first, after a 10-miler at my parents’ I met up with Deb and some of her work friends at a place called Georges Brasserie in the Southpark neighborhood of Charlotte.

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The place was super nice, and turned out to be a French place, which means the menu was baller.

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Bottomless Mimosas were $12. Yes please!

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Cheers!

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We started off with an order of beignets for the table….

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And literally, almost every single girl at the table ordered the French Toast which was AH-maze. Go to Georges, and tell them I said hey!

So next up, the Demi Lovato concert!

If you guys know anything about you, you need to understand that I am ride or die for Demi.

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P1160216Me and Deb found giant Demi before the show, where the median age was like 15.  Seriously, besides moms, we were like the oldest people there.  But I knew every word so suck on that tweens!
photo-1Deb and I found the Tampax (weird) photobooth and took some really really cute pics.  I’m gonna hang onto these for a while.

P1160218The hot one from One Direction?  Zayn?  His lady-friend is in this group.  They were really cute, and played a bunch of adorable covers from the 90s, including a TLC cover of ‘No Scrubs’.  No one but us and the moms knew this one.

And finally!!!!

P1160223Demi!  And the seats were really good!

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P1160221She was amazing.  Seriously amazing.  She seemed really happy, and sang strong for the entire time.  It wasn’t super overproduced, and the show really boiled down to her and the music.  Demi played the new stuff, the old stuff, and played the drums, the piano, and the guitar.

P1160225The coolest thing?  The Neon Lights app that you could download before the show.  During Neon Lights, the app created this really cool effect on everyone’s smartphone blinked to the beat of the song.  Such good energy!

So overall, that concert was amazing, and I actually found myself boo-hooing during her incredible rendition of ‘Let it Go’ from Frozen and ‘Nightingale,’ where she threw in this amazing key change at the last chorus.

So a photoshoot, a long run in beautiful weather, time with my sister, time with my parents, mimosas, and a Demi Lovato concert?  I’m now exhausted, but what a fantastic weekend.

What was the coolest thing you did this weekend?

 

 

 

 

 

Speed Workout + Reader Question

A few awesome things today.

So remember that incredible dish I had at Pop’s on Sunday?  The fusilli pasta with the mozzarella?

I slimmed it down, cut some of the oils, and made my own version, and it turned out awesome?  The only downside?  I made enough pasts for like 24 people, and now I’m trying to pawn large amounts of pasta off on anyone who will eat food fit for human consumption.

Here’s the side-by-side – Sunday’s meal is on type.  Mine is on the bottom.

photo 4Mine looks a little “drier” because I skimped on some of those oils that can pack on calories.  But it definitely was tasting good!  Now who wants pasta?

Moving right along!

The weather was beautiful in North Carolina today, literally like 75 degrees.  So I dragged my boss down to the track for a speed workout.

photo 2It was nice to run on the track on a pretty day, and I’ve been working out on such hard surfaces recently, I forgot how nice it is to run on a soft, springy surface.  My body is totally thanking me today.

Today’s interval was a 1 mi. by 6, with a 400m recovery.  It was cool, and I ended up being able to squeeze like 8 miles out of the deal without even realizing!  That’s one of the beautiful aspects of speed workouts!

photo 3Okay, I usually never do this, but this is actually pretty funny.

Mile 1: 7:46 – hysterical, because I told my boss that the first mile would be a nice and easy one, just for us.  I started to feel so crappy during the mile, and I couldn’t figure out why.  Yeah, that would be why, I was running at ungodly (for me) speeds.

Mile 2: 7:59

Mile 3: 8:12

Mile 4: 8:09

Mile 5: 8:14

Mile 6: 8:14

The best moment?  When a woman who was also working out on the track turned to me as she was leaving, gave me the thumbs up, and told me that I was awesome.  I, being hyper-emotional because I was working out, completely burst into tears right there on the track.  Whatevs man, working out is beautiful.

And now, it’s time for the reader question!

I got a text a few days ago, from a reader asking about tying running shoes!

I’m forever confused about the different ways to tie running shoes and have just recently learned the tighter you tie isn’t actually the better (I was wondering why my feet were going numb).

So Kim (reader in question) is certainly not the only one.  I was beyond shocked when I borrowed my boss’ shoes for a run, and his shoes were snatched down to beyond an inch of their lives, and I’ve seen the same in a lot of folks who come into Fleet Feet.  A lot of folks will come in and complain of their feet going numb especially.

So here’s the deal, and the way I would suggest that you tie your shoes in order to be comfortable.

photo 1Take a gander at the feets.

So your shoes do not need to be super tight, nor do they need to be flopping off of your feet (something I’ve certainly been guilty of).  But if you’re one of those people who love that tight feel, but concerned because your feet go numb every run, I have a fun trick for you.  Tie your shoes normally.  Don’t squeeze the heck out of your feet.

Then, do this.  We’re gonna backlace your shoe (and keep the shoe from sliding around on your ankle).

See that top eyelet on the shoe that you’ve always wondered about?  We’re going to use it today.  Poke the right lace through the right hole and the left lace through the left hole.  So we’re making bunny ears.  Now cut straight across the top of your foot and pierce the opposite ear.  Same thing, pierce the opposite ear.  Then pull both laces straight up, and this will lock the shoe on your ankle without killing the top of your food.  Here’s how it’s gonna go in YouTube form.

Do itttttt.  Now remember, chill on the laces.  Do not get fixated on tying  them so tight that you see life flash before your eyes.  It’s unnecessary, and the last thing you want to be thinking about is how bad your feet hurt 10 miles in.

Anyhoo, I miss you guys, come visit me in the comments.

Tell me something, what’d you eat for dinner last night?  Pictures are welcome!

Would you workout with an overweight trainer?

Okay, but before we get into all of that, look at what I ate for dinner last night.

I met up with Kelly, a good friend from Elon last night, and we met up at this place called Pop’s in Durham.  It was a Trattoria, and choc-full of a ton of good wines to choose from, so it was the perfect spot for us.  So look what I had.

photo (5)This delicious thing, which came in its own skillet thingie is a fusilli pasta with tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella.  It was literally to die for and so huge, that I could only eat like a little bit of it before I packed up the reset for lunch tomorrow.  Lunch is gonna be BALLER tomorrow.

But back to the topic at hand.  So I was taking to a friend yesterday, and he was describing how is accountant had a lot of bad, outstanding debt.

“It’s like working with a fat personal trainer,” he said. “It just doesn’t make sense!”

And I wasn’t sure what to make of that.

I’d like to think that you can be overweight, and fit, and that I would be okay working with a personal trainer who was overweight, ESPECIALLY if that personal trainer was well-versed in his or her craft, but I’m not sure.  I never want to discriminate against someone on the basis of how they look, especially given the fact that you cannot necessarily tell how healthy someone is by looking on the outside.  So I’ll pose these questions to you without any judgement, or leading.

Would you work out with an overweight personal trainer?  Why or why not?  

 

Here’s what! What three things are you obsessed with this week?

It’s Friday y’all, and time for my Here’s What!

In case you missed it the past few weeks, here are a few links.

1/31/14

2/7/13

And in case you’re still dumb (jk, jk), my here’s what is my “here’s what three things I’m obsessed with this week,” which I totally stole from Andy Cohen, my American Idol.  Andy, please, give me my own show!  I need it!!!  Okay, here goes though. 

Lake Street Dive. 

A friend tagged me in this video on the YouTube, and I’ve been obsessed ever since.

Rachael Price is that lead vocalist, and even though the show was totally sold out, I was able to purchase exactly one ticket.  I know a few friends are hitting the show too, so I should be able to try to find them, but yes, I love Lake Street Dive enough that I’m just going to go to this show solo dolo.

The weather.  

I promise, I’m not lame.  Which I have to say because I recognize that it’s pretty lame to be posting about the weather on my blog.  But it’s been disgusting, especially by NC standards, and I’ve been forced onto the treadmill more than I’d like this week.  Mid next week in good ol’ Raleigh, we will be well into the 70s here.  When we had a snow storm and people were abandoning their cars this week. It literally makes no sense.  But whatvevs, I’ll take whatever keeps me off the treadmill for a day or two.  Raise ya glass for 10 miles on Sunday!  Woohoo!

These Minnetonka Boots

1798801_10100273811496543_1882547200_nI blogged on these a few weeks ago, how I’d been dying for some to add to my collection, so imagine my surprise (delighted surprise), when Austin told me to close my eyes and open a shoe box?  They could not be more perfect!  Gah, they’re exactly what I needed!

So what three things are you obsessed with this week?  

Clark Howard, I’ll let you do your job, let me do mine.

During yesterday’s snow day debacle, where I literally spent the entire day inside, blogging, doing laundry, and cleaning.  I did not do any running, and for that, I feel extremely guilty.  [addendum to this post] I finally couldn’t take it anymore, and Austin and I put on our winter finest, and shuffle-ran to to local coffee joint, grabbed a cup, and shuffle-ran back.  My feet are very cold!

But anyhoo, when I was working on the blog and doing my usual scan of Facebook/Twtiter/Bloglovin, I came across this gem by Clark Howard.  Clark Howard, if you’re not familiar, is the resident financial guru on HLN, and he offers tips and tricks to “Save More, Spend Less, and Avoid Rip-Offs,” which I’m all game for.

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Wikipedia.org – Clark Howard

Seriously, as I moved toward getting married and merging finances with another human, I’m working to get better with my finances, as Austin is seriously amazing with money, and I’ve learned a lot from him. So I try not to spend money on stupidity, but I was blown away when I came across this article, that was credited to things Clark Howard had said.

The main premise of the article? 

Cheapo sneakers are actually better for runners.

No, no, no-no, no no no no no.  Absolutely not.  The article credits a Scottish study that somehow concluded that less-expensive shoes are just as good as low cost one.

Full disclosure here.  I work for Fleet Feet, and I am biased, however, having run in both $25 shoes and $150 shoes, there is really no comparison.  You pay more, your feet feel better.

I consider myself something of specialist when it comes to running shoes (since it’s my job) and I’ve said it once, and I will absolutely say it again.  Go to a specialty shoe store, like a Fleet Feet or a Pacers, get a fitting, and pay the full price for your running shoes.  If you’re running, there’s no reason you should be pounding around on shoes you found in a Payless.

And now, I present to you a list of stuff you don’t need to be skimping on!

  1. Your bras.  Sports bras or not, you don’t want to be turning into a floppy mess by the time you’re 25.  Spend the money on something good and supportive, and you won’t regret it.
  2. Your jeans.  I’ve purchased jeans from Target, and they smell like mothballs.  I’ve purchased designer jeans from a consignment store.  Designer digs > Target jeans.
  3. Your vacuum.  If you buy it cheap and your ish is gonna break in 6 months anyways, spend the extra bucks and enjoy your vacuum for years to come.  I have an Oreck XL that’s like a million years old.  I don’t remember how much it cost when it was first purchased, but it’s still going strong.
  4. Your food.  Now let me clear, you can certainly afford healthy foods on the cheap.  Heads of lettuce, fruits, and juices can be purchased for cheap.  But don’t run out to some bargain place and sweep the bottom shelves for Ramen.  You’re doing your body no favors.
  5. Obviously, your running shoes.  Unless you like bunions and bone spurs.  But that’s completely up to you.

So what are you willing to spend your hard-earned money on?  

How marathoning is like delivering a child.

So here’s a disclaimer.  I am not pregnant, nor have I delivered a baby.  But., one of my best friends was pregnant throughout the time I trained for my marathon, and our lives have always been eerily parallel, despite the fact that she lives about 8 hours away in Nashville.  As I was going through the whole process – the training, the race itself, and then the after, I asked her about it, and she seemed totally in agreement, that training for, and executing a marathon is kinda sorta like the process of getting pregnant and delivering a baby.  Also, fun fact:  now that we have kids, we are sworn to secrecy about what happened at her wedding weekend.  I am fine with that 😉

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Mama Chelsie and baby niece Evie, when she was born on January 21st of last year! Mama delivered with no drugs!

How Marathoning is Like Delivering a Child

By: Cheri and Mama Chelsie, cause she’s actually delivered a child.

  1. You’re pregnant/you’ve registered for your first marathon! So what do you do? You tell your best friends, because you’re kind of so excited, but kind of terrified. What have you gotten yourself into? Oh well, you’ve got forever to prepare for this, right? Right? Why do some people so happy for you, and some people seem so terrified for you?
  2. Realizing that what you’re about to do is going to be a big deal, you go to Barnes and Noble and sit there with a tea while you read every single book on the topic.  You might even bring your laptop to Google some stuff and do some cross-referencing.  Why the hell are there so many theories on this stuff?  Should I eat seafood?  Is caffeine okay? Am I about to get judged for all my choices?
  3. You tell people.  And the world starts to implode.  First, it’s a lot of congratulations.  Then, a lot of unsolicited opinions.  Then a lot of stupid questions.  “How far is a marathon?”  “Why are you doing that?” “I think my sister ran a marathon once, but she said it made her hate running. [shrugs] Hope this doesn’t make you hate running!”
  4. Once you get over the initial shock of what happens, you realize, you have to eat well.  Gone are the days where you could mindlessly toss back a few cups of coffee, or drink all night with friends because each day when you wake up, whatever’s in your belly is what is coming with you for the run.  If something doesn’t agree with you, your body will certainly let you know, and you may find yourself in the bathroom a little more than usual.
  5. You talk to your friends about how they did it.  How did they prepare?  What should you know?  Some of their advice is comforting.  Some of their advice is terrifying.  You kind of think you can do it, but you kind of doubt yourself a little bit.
  6. You start going to bed a little earlier.  But it doesn’t really matter, because as you get a little closer to the event, you won’t sleep well anyways.  You’ll fall asleep okay, and find yourself stress dreaming about every thing that could possibly go wrong.
  7. You get a little practice with your longs runs (a few fake contractions).  Some of them make you really confident.  Some of them are defeating, and you’re really not sure if you can do it.  But what choice do you have right now?  You can’t back out, right?
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Jesus, that beautiful is baby, huh? Mama Chelsie isn’t too bad either 🙂
  1. Some really weird stuff starts happening to your body.  You’re hungry all the time.  But you only want to eat good stuff.  Your thighs rub together.  Things spread, things come together, and your energy is all over the place.
  2. Okay, it’s the morning of.  You can do this!  After 9 months (or less) of training, you are so pumped, and very nervous.  And the adrenaline of what’s about to happen to you starts to pull you through.
  3. Less than halfway through, endorphins are flowing.   What are people talking about?! This is awesome!  You might even nod your head and high give some passers-by.  Mind over matter that’s all it takes. ::hair flip::
  4. Chelsie was in labor for over a day.  Luckily, there is not really that when you’re marathoning.  But an hour and a half after those endorphins are flowing, despair comes.  What the frick were you thinking?  Why did you think this was fun?  Why did you tell everyone you were doing this?  Now if you were to lay down and die, they will know you failed.  You’re breathing heavily.  You’re making noises.  The only thoughts are the thoughts of your loved ones, and how you have to make it back to them.  Not religious?  Doesn’t matter.  You will be praying.
  5. The final push.  25.5 miles.  People tell you you’re almost there.  You hope so, because seriously, you’re not sure you’re going to make it.  But you put one foot in front of the other, and keep moving.  And suddenly, the finish line appears.  And with that, you give it literally everything you have.
  6. Euphoria.  You’re crossing the finish line.  And you collapse into a pile of emotion.  Disbelief.  There are tears and sobbing.  Someone puts a medal (a baby) on your chest, and a blanket around your shoulders.  There are hugs and smiles.  And in the words of Chelsie, “you feel like a million bucks,”
  7. The would-be Rip Van Winkle.  You want to sleep for 1000 years.  But you have to call your family and friends who are wondering how/what you’re doing.  Ugh.
  8. The next day, when you feel like like 10 trucks ran you over, you swear that you will never do this again.  No one in hell could pay you enough to make you want to do this again.  Your chub rub hurts.  You want to eat, but you can’t.  And you want to slap whomever it was that said this was a good idea.
  9. The blackout.  A few days later, when you’re feeling better and your homies are slapping you on the back for what you’ve done, you literally black out all the crazy stuff that happens to you, and you think that it might be a good idea to do it again.  Whaaaaaa?  Who would do this more than once!
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Those little feet!

Happy Valentines week beautiful people!  What have I missed about training for a marathon/having a sweet baby?