Busy Lady

I realized after I posted the Love Project post that I hadn't done a weekend update.  It was a busy one, so I have lots to share!

It was a very long week last week, so I was thrilled to have planned a low-key roomie date night with Molly on Friday night.  I got home early enough to clean most of the apartment {which I had neglected for a week prior} and take down the Christmas decorations {and yes, I am aware that this happened on February 1st}. I did some baking for the Super Bowl party that I went to on Sunday, and, once Molly got home, we got takeout pizza from Pete's and then watched some Felicity.  Any Friday night that features Scott Speedman's beautiful face and megawatt smile is fine by me ;)

On Saturday morning, I was up at 7 to do my long run, and knowing that I would get to see Dan after I finished definitely helped push me through.  I was scheduled to do 14 miles, but, for a variety of reasons, ended up running almost 17.  I guess it was good preparation for my 20-miler {EEK!} that I'm doing on Friday.  The fact that I'm almost up to 20 miles freaks me out, both because that means that the race is creeping up on me {it's on March 16th, so it actually is practically around the corner}, and also because 20 miles seems like a freakishly high number to me.  In any case, I was happy to get it over with on Saturday morning.  Once I made it over to Dan's, we went over to Top Golf for a bit so he could get some practice swings in before he leaves for his Arizona golf trip on Thursday, and then made it home in time for the Hoya game.  We stuffed our faces with Maggiano's pasta since we were both starving, and, although we had planned to have a low-key night and watch Zero Dark Thirty at my place, Molly had invited some friends over, so we ended up being social and hanging out with all of them.

On Sunday, after our respective workouts, we grabbed breakfast at our favorite bagel place and then met up with Dan's parents at Verizon for the Pens-Caps game.  Leslie and Peter had promised Dan Pens tickets for his birthday, but, since the first part of the NHL season was cancelled, this was the first chance we got to go.  As always, I loved spending time with them.  They are such salt-of-the-earth people, and I always enjoy being in their presence and catching up with them.  It also happened that it was a great game, and the Pens ended up winning 6-3!  I got to sport my new Pens shirt, which I bought in the airport on my way back from my Pittsburgh business trip.  Afterward, we went home and rested for a little bit, and then Dan's roommates had a bunch of people over for a Super Bowl party.  The good food placated me enough so that I was able to sit and watch the entire game.

Last night, some girlfriends and I went to Acqua al 2 in Eastern Market for our friend Cari's birthday.  Cari studied abroad outside of Florence, so had been to the Firenze location {the third is in San Diego...kind of random U.S. locations}.  The food was unbelievable, and I think the waitress was the best waitress I had ever had.  Three of us split the Burata appetizer, which was delicious, and I ordered the Farfalline alla Zucca {bowtie pasta with pumpkin...you can take the girl out of New England, but not the New England out of the girl!}, which was absolutely divine.  Throw in a fancy cocktail and you have the recipe for an amazing dinner.  A bunch of the non-vegetarians ordered the blueberry steak, which they said was delicious as well.  Given the location of the restaurant, I had my second-consecutive late night, and I am hoping that tonight isn't a three-peat.  I am going with some friends to a showing of the play "Our Town" at Ford's Theater, which should be fun.  And then, between now and Thursday, I'm going to try to squeeze in as much quality time as possible with my guy before he leaves!!!  And then, on Thursday night, I have a date with the 4 hours of The Bachelor that I will have missed from this week.  I imagine that some baked good will be involved :)

The Love Project: Vulnerability

I was talking to someone in my life recently, who was attempting to decide whether or not to pursue a romantic relationship with another individual.  This person confessed that they were frightened at the thought of allowing themself to be vulnerable enough to take a chance on love.  My advice to this person was that so much of love is about facing that fear of being vulnerable and of getting hurt.  In my opinion, it is always better to open oneself up to love and risk the fear of getting hurt than to never love at all.  Love is uncertain, but chances are you won't truly experience it unless you take a leap or two.

In the year prior to meeting Dan, I had been very hurt by love.  I had allowed myself to be open and to be vulnerable, and it ended up not working out for me, which left me feeling raw and emotionally exhausted.  That is why it was a huge risk for me to not only begin the process of dating again, but also to begin that process online.  For those of you who don't know our story, we met on Match, and, while that experience is certainly not for everyone, I thought it was an incredible exercise for me in becoming more open, as well as in determining the qualities that are most important to me in a significant other.  However, there is a certain degree of risk involved, perhaps more than your traditional meet-at-a-bar dating, because who someone claims to be online does not necessarily equate to who they are in person.  You are taking a huge risk before you have even gone out on a date!!!

I knew from the day that I met Dan {almost two years ago! How time flies!} that he was someone special, but I still doubted whether or not I could open my heart to him because of the lingering sting of the disappointment and hurt of the previous year.  It did not take me long at all to realize that he was worth it, and, tying in to my first Love Project post, he was affirming in how he felt about me, which made me feel less vulnerable and justified the investment that I was putting into our blossoming relationship.  That, my friends, is the key.  If you are not getting affirmation from your significant other, you will  never stop feeling vulnerable, but that affirmation, well, that makes you feel like you're on an equal playing field.

I loved this picture because it shows that us gals aren't the only ones who can be vulnerable!  This is the ultimate show of vulnerability from this groom, and what a sweet moment the photog captured!

via bashertweddings

The Love Project Kickoff: Support and Encouragement

Hi everyone! As promised in my last post, I have been trying to dig up some interesting articles, videos, photos, etc. to kick off this month of LOVE.  Let me tell you that I have a hum-dinger of a video, which I am going to save until Valentine's Day {sorry for the tease!}.  I hope you enjoy, because I had a lot of fun putting this together!

When I think of love, I think immediately of encouragement and support.  We all deserve to be surrounded by people who show their love for us through their supportive and affirming actions and words.  A huge part of why I feel so loved in my life, by family members, friends and Dan is because I know they all support me unconditionally and share in my joys and sorrows.  I don't take that love and support for granted, because I know, from heartbreaking story after heartbreaking story, that that is not always the case.  

The picture below {which I kind of want, by the way}, really spoke to me, because one thing I have learned, especially over the course of my relationship with Dan, is how important affirming statements like this one can be.  I think that it is so important to feel affirmed in your relationships, romantic and otherwise, so I think this shirt represents the importance of never being afraid to show the people who love how much you care about them.

via Bippity Boppity Boo

On a slightly different note, but also somewhat dealing with ways in which you can make others feel more supported, my mom send me this "Pep Talk from a Kid President" video earlier this week, and I couldn't help but share.  The adorable little kid's words of encouragement made me want to go out in the world and make a difference, PLUS the video is funny!  You just want to make the kid proud!  I think I love it just about as much as Jessica's Daily Affirmations.  I can't overstate the importance of having influences like that in your life.

To sum up this post, everyone deserves to feel supported by the people in their lives, and if you feel that you are not the recipients of this particular manifestation of love, YOU DESERVE BETTER!!!!  Especially if you're the type of person to dole out support, you deserve to get the same in return.

Happy weekend, friends!  I'm looking forward to a relaxing one, after a bunch of work events last weekend and this week.  I've got a roomie night planned with Molly tonight, and what should be lots of quality time with Dan {including a Pens game and a Super Bowl party!}.  Hopefully I will be nice and refreshed on Monday...HA

Announcement: The Love Project

It's that time of year, friends, the dreaded Valentine's Day season.  Since it's almost February, I thought I would jump on the spirit bandwagon.

Mara from A Blog About Love {a fabulous blog, by the way, which you should check out!} posted this video collage aboout what love means to different people.  It is a beautiful video that got me thinking about how I can capture the spirit of love in this blog.

What I came up with is what I'm calling The Love Project.  Each time I post in February, I will share an article, picture, movie or song clip, or personal story that, in my opinion, conveys the powerful emotion of love.  I would love to hear about the types of things that do the same for all of you!  So, for the last few days of January, I will be brainstorming fun things to share!

Speaking of love, I hope you all watched The Bachelor last night :-)  I hate myself for watching it, but I can't turn away!

Andddd....cue collapse

This weekend was our first of two Admitted Student Welcome Weekends, which always turn out to be a bear for me.  Throw in another large project that already had me busy last week and you have a recipe for an UBER-stressful week.  I didn't know how late I would have to stay at work last week, so I didn't make any plans with friends, plus Dan was sick {he contracted that nasty little 36-hour stomach bug that is going around}, so my nights last week consisted of going home, eating dinner, and going to bed at 9ish.  Even with all of that rest, I pretty much collapsed once the event was over on Saturday night.  I apologized to poor Dan in advance for my extreme lameness, because I conked out and slept for about 11 hours on Saturday night.  Stressful weeks will do that for you, I guess!!

The best part about the weekend was going home to my guy.  Even though I was deliriously tired {seriously, I had spoken complete nonsense as I fell asleep on Friday night}, seeing him never ceases to bring a smile to my face, so I was glad to be able to spend some quality time with him after not having seen him all week.  Once I had had a few minutes to recover, we headed over to Thunderburger in Georgetown where, as luck would have it, we ran into my brother and his roommates.  We LOVE Thunderburger, because Dan can order a wide variety of burgers, and I can nosh on my beloved Rock the Casbah burger {a chickpea burger with yogurt sauce and tomatoes, with some sweet potato fries on the side...YUM}.  If you haven't been, you seriously need to go!  I started to nod off while we were watching Silver Linings Playbook, so we ended up finishing it the next day.  It was really quirky, but I actually loved it.  Seeing Bradley Cooper in a serious role was kind of surreal, but I still enjoyed it!

On Sunday, I hemmed and hawed from the time I woke up until the time I left for my run.  After the long weekend I had had, I was not in the mood for a 13-mile run.  But I told myself that there was not going to be an out on this one, so I sucked it up, hip pain and all.  It was by no means a fun run, and, once again, my stomach bothered me for much of the afternoon after I got back.  Boo :(  I hope I can get down to the bottom of what is ailing my stomach so that I can avoid that kind of pain after 26.2.  We had a truly lazy Sunday afternoon, watching the rest of Silver Linings, the latest episodes of Parks & Rec and Modern Family, and, finally, the Pens game, as I inhaled some pasta, the first thing I was really able to eat that day. 

I'm looking forward to what should hopefully be a much calmer week this week, which will include a Bachelor watch with two of my close girlfriends tonight!

Long Weekend Recap

I have an unexpectedly light day today {perhaps it's the calm before the storm that is my event on Friday and Saturday?}, so I thought I would update you all on my much-needed long weekend.

Last week was no fun, so I practically fell through the doorway of Dan's apartment when I got there on Friday after work.  We headed over to my parents' house for dinner to celebrate my mom's birthday {despite how tired I was, I can always be bribed with the promise of cake}, and then went to our friends' house for drinks and Catchphrase {which, conveniently, is now an iPhone app, and which I am obviously now buying}.  It was the low-key night that I needed, but still sufficiently social. 

On Saturday morning, after my run, we drove down to the Charlottesville area to partake in my Christmas present to Dan, which was an overnight in the Cville area and a trip to a few local breweries.  We ended up going to two, Starr Hill and Devil's Backbone.  Starr Hill is the more well-known of the two and I did enjoy the beer, but I think I was slightly cranky because it was right around lunch/snack time and they didn't have snacks to go with our beer.  Fail.  Devil's Backbone, a beautiful brewpub nestled in the foothills of, you guessed it, the Devil's Backbone Mountain, was much more my speed, because we were able to stuff our faces on a jumbo soft pretzel with spicy mustard while still enjoying our beer. I was no longer experiencing hungry crankiness.  We drove to our B&B, which, while charming, is, as it turns out, in the middle of nowhere.  We dropped our stuff and then drove 45 minutes to Charlottesville.  Being that Dan had finished much of the beer of Lil' Lightweight {yours truly}, I was the one tasked with driving, and I spent the entire time white-knuckled and afraid of hitting a deer.  Luckily, no Bambis were injured during this drive, and we made it to our predictable dinner choice of Mellow Mushroom in one piece.  Sure, we could have sampled some local Cville cuisine, but we were in a pizza mood and knew what we were getting ourselves into with MM, so we knew we would walk away happy {despite a Hoya loss that happened while we were eating and checking the score in vain}. 

I had brought my computer with me for the sole purpose of watching some Homeland...and I barely lasted a whole episode.  I blame the energy drain of driving in sheer terror for 45 minutes, plus the amount of alcohol ingested throughout the day {we also drank some of the Cab that Dan had gotten at his office holiday party} for my sleepiness.  I promise, I'm not 90!  In all seriousness, though, this was such a wonderful, not to mention much-needed, trip.  I always enjoy gifts that we can partake in together, and will take any opportunity I can get to have a change of pace, if only for 24 hours, focus on each other and reconnect.

We headed back reasonably early, after a homecooked breakfast courtesy of the B&B proprietors {okay, Grands rolls don't count, but the rest was homecooked, and Dan, who had somehow had a deprived childhood by never having tried them, had his world changed forever}, because I had to get my 18-miler in that afternoon.  I had a really great run; I ran from Rosslyn on the Mt. Vernon Trail to just about the Wilson Bridge in Alexandria.  I also happened to see my parents outside {the trail runs right by their house}, so that was a perfect opportunity to stop for a water/chatting break.  I felt so accomplished/exhausted when I got back, but, within an hour, I was doubled over in stomach pain.  Dan made the unwise decision {and yes, we both kicked ourselves afterward for failing to connect the dots and choose a different dinner option} to head into the city to get himself dinner to bring home, and the trip took him two hours due to the Inauguration crowds.  When he got back, I was curled up in the fetal position in bed, in complete agony.  Since it had worked for me before, I tried taking a nap to see if my stomach ailments would go away, instructing Dan to only let me sleep for 45 minutes.  Well, I was OUT, and he had to shake me pretty hard to get me back awake.  Finally, 5ish hours after I finished my run, I was able to eat something {just some pasta with olive oil and parmesan}, but I know that I have to keep talking to the doctor about this stomach situation to hopefully get it figured out before my race.  Dan took very good care of me, trying to make me feel better, waking me up from my nap and cooking me dinner, which I was very grateful for.

On Monday, we went to Metro 29 for breakfast, and then I basically lazed around for the rest of the day {okay, fine, I cooked and did work, so I was anything but lazy} and prepared myself for the firestorm of this week. Only a few more days...in the meantime, I promise I'll post pictures soon!

Marathon Training: Oh yeah, that's happening...

I feel like marathon training has become a part of my morning routine to the extent that I forget to talk about it on this blog.  But I am slightly over halfway through my training, so I thought I would give you all a quick update.

I was thinking today how strange it is that my "short runs" on the weekend are now 11-12 miles.  Prior to training for this race, the longest distance I had ever run was 13.1 miles {twice}.  It is astounding to me how far I've come in just two months of training. A few weeks ago, after a horrific 16-miler which ended with two miles of jogging/limping, I was feeling pretty down about my training.  I have been plagued by hip joint pain for the past month or so, which has reared its ugly head, in particular, during my longer runs.  I was frustrated by having to plan my entire weekend around when I was going to do my long run, and that bugged me.  That was why I was so apprehensive leading in to my 18-miler yesterday.  I had been hemming and hawing all weekend about when I was going to do my run, and was nervous about running later in the day, when I had already eaten.  I have found that I have stomach issues if I run with food in my stomach, which is one of the main reasons why I run early in the morning {in addition to the fact that I am a morning person}.  Dan was nothing but encouraging yesterday as I prepared to leave for my run.  He really has been my biggest cheerleader throughout this process, and has been quick to reassure me when I've had a tough run or am visibly in pain.

I had a really great run yesterday, so I came out of it feeling somewhat reassured that I can do this.  I felt really good for the first 12 miles or so, and didn't feel too terrible after that.  My hip did start bothering me, but I think the fact that I didn't run in the city, and, thus, didn't have all the stop-and-go action that aggravates my hip, made for an easier run.  I ran from Rosslyn on the Mt. Vernon trail and turned around by Wilson Bridge in Alexandria.  I even saw my parents outside, basking in the glorious day, in the park next to their house, so I stopped for a quick break to say hello and eat my Shot Bloks {if you're training, these are made by Clif Bar and are fantastic; not being a regular consumer of caffeine, I didn't want to risk using a training aid with caffeine in it and having it mess up my body}.  I was definitely ready for the run to be over at about mile 15 or 16, but I felt really good about myself when I finished.  I was even able to call upon a short, surprising burst of energy at the end of the run to pass a couple of people.  It was great to be able to go home to Dan and know that I had done it, and he was really happy for me.

Now, I haven't run my race yet {it's on March 16th, for those of you who are interested}, but I have a renewed sense that I CAN do this.  The fact that I have been able to overcome a lifelong hatred of running, in addition to exercise-induced asthma, is proof that you can do anything if you really put your mind to it.  I have an incredible support team led, first and foremost, by Dan, and they continue to encourage me, even in moments when I doubt myself.  For that, I am so grateful.  It has also helped to hear from friends who have trained for marathons, picking their brains for tips.  I'm excited to push myself more over these next few months and, hopefully, have a successful race!!!

I promise that I will try to update you all soon on our wonderful long weekend.  It is going to be a tough week at work, but hopefully I'll find some time to write!