That Eating Disorder Thing

        So you may have noticed a little detail about me that stuck out in the About Me section. Yeah, that eating disorder thing. For awhile, it was a really big thing. I’ve been active in some way shape or  form since I was 8 years old when I started playing soccer. We usually practiced 2 days a week and then had 2 games during the weekend. When I started high school soccer, my workouts increased in frequency and intensity. I also stopped drinking regular soda and swapped it for diet soda or more water. I lost a few pounds and people noticed. I began to think that if a few pounds had this effect, obviously I would fit in more and be more attractive if I continued to lose a few more pounds. That transition into high school is not easy for a lot of people. Bodies change and we tend to be more critical about each other and the way we look. We (especially young women) are bombarded with images of models and celebrities that society has deemed as having "perfect" bodies. Unattainable images set unrealistic expectations on those who are most impressionable. When soccer season was over, I began working out and running more compulsively. I lost more and more weight. Some days, I would work out as many as four hours. I would do a workout video and if I felt I had not done enough exercise for the day, I would rewind it and do it all over again.  As the pounds continued to drop, I also became more and more obsessed with how much I was eating. I began significantly restricting how much I was eating. I developed (and was later diagnosed officially) full blown anorexia nervosa. My days revolved around my meals and how much I was or was not consuming. If I went to bed with my stomach growling, it was a successful day. I did my best to avoid social situations in which eating was the primary activity. I denied to others that I had any problems. There were a few concerned teachers (along with my parents) who asked if I was okay, but I tried to shrug off their concerns. I could pick out every single flaw on my body. Why couldn't they see all the fat on my body like I could? The way I saw myself was not the way others saw me. I started developing some of the beautiful side effects that come along with disordered eating, especially anorexia. I was developing a downy hair covering over my face, called lanugo (really only present otherwise on fetuses before they are fully developed). My body fat had dropped so low, the lanugo was my body's attempt to insulate me. My heart rate dropped to the low 40's. This is the heart rate of an elite athlete, and despite my time spent exercising, I was no elite athlete. This was a defense mechanism - my body was fighting back since I wasn't providing it with the energy it needed to get through the day. I also did not menstruate for over a year. Because of this, I underwent blood testing and it was found that I had Hashimoto's hypothyroidism. Sometimes with Hashimoto's, I guess the thyroid can get a little overactive before it settles into the underactive state. People can lose weight initially. This gave me a way to disguise the problems that were really happening underneath. Perhaps the worst side effects, though, were those of the psychological nature. Mentally and physically, I was shutting down.

        Eventually, I could not keep up with the high amount of activity and lower food intake. I remember vividly one day having to skip soccer practice because all I was physically capable of doing was laying in my bed. I was exhausted. I spent so much energy and time just thinking about food and how to avoid it. Occasionally, I would be so hungry that I began compulsively binge eating. I would try to keep it secret. I would eat bowls and bowls of ice cream, multiple bowls of cereal, packets of poptarts. I was so embarrassed and began feeling out of control. Control was what I thrived on at that time. If I kept this up, I was going to gain weight. What could have been worse at that time than seeing the number rise on the scale? I had to find a way to get rid of all of the foods I had excessively consumed. Eventually, I figured out a way to purge myself of the large quantities of food I was consuming. I won't go into details, but this was an extremely dangerous time in my eating disorder. In general, I still was not eating enough on most days with occasional binge days. I starting purging every day (multiple times ...every day) despite how much I did or did not eat. So not only was I not getting enough nutrients and caloric energy on most days, I was finding ways to get rid of it. I tried really hard to keep my binge episodes secret from the people I loved. I started eating more and more and purging more and more. Anorexia nervosa was developing quickly into bulimia nervosa. I thought I was hiding it well, but then my mom confronted me after a particularly binge heavy day. That confrontation saved me. I guess I just was waiting for someone to tell me I had a problem and offer me a concrete solution. It had gone on for long enough, that I was getting exhausted by my starve-binge-purge cycle. My guard was down, and I knew it was time. I know it was hard for my parents to see this happening to me and hard for my mom to bring this to light. I couldn't be more thankful for that moment now.

        My mom found a nearby outpatient center that specialized in the care of persons with eating disorders. This place was called the Charis Center. As far as I know, it is the only partial hospital program for eating disorders in Indiana (meaning there are more intensive outpatient and inpatient options available). It is hard to find centers like this with specialization in eating disorders. It is hard to find centers like this that will be covered by insurance. It is hard to find centers like this that are close by. I have no idea how much my parents'  insurance helped with this or not. I am forever grateful that it was found and that it wasn't too far away. So many aren't as fortunate as I was. I met with a nutritionist for a short period of time, but most of my time was spent with a psychologist (Dr. Carrie Proffitt) who truly made a difference for me. Dr. Mary Rouse helped establish this facility to address an often overlooked and severely misunderstood psychological group of conditions. We had to hide/get rid of scales in our home and each time I was weighed at the facility, I had to step on the scale backwards. I had no idea how much I weighed for an extended period of time. I was not allowed to run and my mom hid my workout videos (I could still do soccer activities, but nothing outside of that). I had to write down what I was eating each day and when I purged. I tried so hard to be good, but on the days I purged, I would just draw frustrated squiggly lines through the day's entry. I wrote in a journal about how food made me feel and how ashamed I was of my body. I hated my body. I hated my brain. I hated how I felt. I was so in control that I was out of control. A project that Dr. Proffitt had me work on one particularly difficult week is something that has stuck with me for a long time. We had a bunch of magazines out in front of us and she had me cut out pictures of women who were not the stick thin picture of perfection. Women who were strong, proud, and confident in their bodies and even in their imperfections. Women like Serena Williams, Christina Aguilera (who was being criticized around that time for putting a few pounds on her tiny frame), Mia Hamm. I took the project home and added more pictures and inspiring phrases. It hung on my wall for years. Because of this project, I always try to remember the great things that my body can do rather than pick apart the cosmetic appearance of it. For example, I always thought my calves were too muscular. They were something I fixated on. Now I can look at those calves and any time I think about their size, I remind myself that these calf muscles have carried me through marathons, thousands of miles, have hiked in the Grand Canyon, etc. It changed the way I see other women's bodies and helped me realize that comparing myself to them shouldn't make me feel better or worse. We are so critical of ourselves that we forget the amazing and beautiful things that our bodies can do.

I started gaining weight back and getting back into healthier habits, but the most difficult challenge was overcoming the depression and anxiety that had taken over. I had associated my happiness with the number on the scale and with thinness for so long. I really struggled. I was prescribed an anti-depressant when I started treatment at the Charis Center. I was a  16 year old on Prozac. Say what you will, it helped me. It gave me a little more energy to fight. There were days where the will to fight my eating disorder significantly waned. Wouldn't it just be easier to end it all? It felt dark and scary to think those things. I didn't want that. I wanted to be who I was before I started caring too much about what others thought of me, or what I thought I had to be in order to be a more perfect person. Perfectionism is a hard habit to break. I graduated from the Charis Center about a year after I started treatment. I remember stepping on the scale backwards for the last time. Life has brought its share of difficulties and challenges since then. When I was younger (and not long after my significant recovery period), I would try to control my food intake for a bit because part of me still hadn't fully recovered despite my physical recovery. If someone didn't like me or hurt my feelings (silly high school heartbreaks), I would be reminded of some of those old feelings of inadequacy. I felt like maybe if I could lose just a few pounds again, maybe, just maybe, a certain guy would find me more attractive or care about me more. That's how deeply I associated my weight with my self worth and ability to be loved. As I have gotten older, I have learned to be kinder to my body in these hard moments (I still care about what people think of me more than I would like, but I care much less than I used to!). There are times where grief and sadness make food your last priority, but I remind myself that it will give me the energy I need to emotionally recover. That is not to say there are still not days where I am not horribly critical of myself for no good reason. I look in the mirror and I hate the way a shirt fits on my hips or that I will always struggle to get my jeans on or off over my muscular calves. I fixate on my mistakes and sometimes I just can't shake the notion of how I could go back in time and change the stupid things I did. I also still struggle with those occasional feelings of sadness, but have developed better coping mechanisms. I've lost people I loved and have sought out counseling when I have felt like the world was too big and hard to understand. I can't begin to describe how beneficial this was for me.

Aside from the love from my family, meeting my husband was a big game changer in the way I treat myself.  He was the first guy to make me feel beautiful - not just admiring physical beauty, but he appreciated my sense of humor, my intelligence, and my interests (maybe my pop culture knowledge was more impressive ;) ). His unconditional love and support has lifted me up in the hardest parts of life. I am forever thankful. 

Running has also been a huge factor in the mental recovery from my eating disorder. I know it sounds counter-intuitive based on how all of my body image issues began. I was over-exercising, using running and activity as a tool to make myself shrink.  When I was getting back on track with healthier habits, I joined the high school track team. Because I was a soccer player, I had natural longer distance endurance. Instead of running to lose weight, I saw that I could use running in a new way. I found out that in order to run well, I needed to more adequately fuel myself. And running well helped lead to running faster. And isn't that the purpose of track? Getting faster? I guess it was trading one addiction for another, but it was a more meaningful and healthier addiction. When high school sports were done for me, running became a primary means of staying in shape. I loved the way I felt after a good run. If running was the only thing I did that day, then it was still a good day. It helped me focus, helped me solve problems and think things out. It was (and definitely still is) my quiet time. I notice the little details of the world around me and appreciate the beauty of the outdoors. I've run in rain, snow, through sunrises and sunsets. Gradually, the distances I could run got longer. I ran my first half marathon in 2009 and was hooked. There was no turning back on running after that. In the spring of 2015, I ran my first marathon. Crossing that finish line was probably the most amazing thing my body has done to this point in my life. I was so thankful for my health, for my physical and mental strength. There is no way I would ever have been able to do this at the peak of my eating disorder. In that case, thinness did not equate to health or endurance or strength. I was 40 pounds heavier crossing that marathon finish line than I had been at my lowest weight. It was one of the moments in my life where I felt like I was at my most beautiful. I was achy, sweaty, stinky, but oh so beautiful! Running has shown me the beautiful things my body is physically capable of doing at a healthy weight. Running has made me more beautiful in my own way. 

I have wanted to share this story for awhile, but have always been afraid of how people would react to me afterwards. There are a lot of stigmas surrounding eating disorders. How often have we heard someone tell a slender person to "go eat a cheeseburger," or criticized someone for putting on weight? Eating disorders aren't cured by "just eating." They are complex, requiring treatment for the body and mind. Maybe, just maybe, my story may help someone who is struggling ... or maybe it can give someone an idea of how to help someone who is struggling. I knew I had to try to put my story into words after seeing the story below. I was again reminded how fortunate I was to have the treatment I needed nearby and how fortunate I was to have the support of my family. The story below broke my heart and brought back some hard feelings. Eating disorders have one of the highest, if not the highest, mortality rate of all mental illnesses. Around ten percent of people who develop an eating disorder die from complications of the disorder or from committing suicide. If I had not been surrounded by so much love and support and a treatment facility, I could very well have been part of that statistic. I was heading down that path. Eating disorders are not a joke, an eating disorder is a mental disorder. There are serious health consequences. 
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/eating-disorder-suicide-link

Below is a link to the National Eating Disorders Association website. Here you can find more details and statistics about eating disorders and their prevalence. There is also information on how to find support for you or someone you love should they be struggling with any of these conditions. 
https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/

Thank you all for reading this long, but important, post about me. Do not hesitate to ask me any questions about my path to recovery. It is part of my story and has lead me to where I am today. My body is not perfect, and I accept that, but is capable of so much more than I ever could have imagined when I was fifteen. It is flawed, but it is strong and it has carried me through the worst and best days. 

What the what?!

I like winter running. 

There. I said it. 

Who am I? Up until about 2 years ago, I would have told you just the opposite. You would not find me outside before March! The beginning of spring half marathon training was done on treadmills, save for those crazy few warm Indiana winter days that crop up every now and then. Why the change in heart, Megan? When I began training for the Carmel Marathon in January of 2015, it just became impractical to do longer runs on the treadmill. Anything more than 5 miles on the treadmill really makes me cringe, anyway. I found that as long as I layered appropriately, I found that outside running was actually pretty pleasant. One of the great things is the feeling of isolation, like it is just me and nature. There are still some crazy runners out braving the temperatures, but there is a peace in the stillness and companionless trail stretches. It also makes me feel a little hardcore. I love the thought of someone driving by while I am running bundled up in my layers thinking that I am a crazy runner. And let's not forget the scenery. As long as the trails are clear-ish ( ;) ), there is beauty in some powdery snow lining the sides of the trail and sticking to the trees. This brings me to my run today! It was a cold day (17 with wind chill) with a light dusting of snow falling. Nothing too slick as far as footing went. There is one part of  one of the trails I like to run in which there is a bridge over a creek. Trees line both sides and there are some stretches of field behind part of the trail. Today, I just took the time to stop on this bridge, let the snow fall around me, let the snow land on my hat and face, and take a few breaths of cold and refreshing air. I am generally just working on keeping up my miles in the winter (until half marathon training starts!), so there is no pressure on hitting any paces or getting through intervals. It reminds me why I enjoy running so much. I am just out there, legs moving, lungs breathing in cold air, and looking at the beauty around me. So, thank you winter running, for bringing me this joy. And making me look like a ninja/bank robber. A hardcore one. 

Hubby and I prepped for a particularly cold day of running - single digits with 0 degree windchill!

Running updates!

Hey everyone! No races in the last few weeks (or upcoming few weeks), but I have been trying to consistently run about 15-20 miles a week to stay in shape (along with soccer and walking on the treadmill). The running weather has been quite unique over the last few weeks. I have run in temperatures with the wind chill near 0 and have had temperatures all the way up to the 50 deg area. There have been some slick runs, rainy runs, windy runs, and everything in between. I know Indiana is full of weird weather, but this has been unusually weird for January! By the end of this week, they are looking at a 60 degree day! Mother Nature is intoxicated. Although I don't have a race lined up until next month, two of my co-workers and I are participating in the 2017 miles in 2017 challenge by Run the Edge. You can either run this amount solo or as part of a team up to 4 people. The 3 of us are chipping away at this total as we speak. You can run, walk, or hike your miles - just as long as you are on your feet! It's been pretty fun so far! I am mostly just getting miles in without worrying about my speed. My hamstrings and left foot have been feeling really good (hoping this does not jinx it)! I have a few more personal posts I am working on and hoping to get up in the next few weeks, as well. Now that the holiday madness is done, I am hoping to update here a little more frequently. Have a wonderful week everyone!

My Favorite Run

     I've been running for quite awhile. I have covered thousands of miles in all conditions. I've had more good runs than bad. I can think of one run in particular that stands out as my favorite (though I have many that are very close to that title, as well). It was Friday March 18th, 2011. I must have been out of school for spring break, because I was still in physical therapy school at that time. It was supposed to start raining that morning, so I wanted to just get started running early in order to avoid getting caught in any downpours. If you know me now, you know that I actually enjoy running in the rain. To me, it is refreshing. It also makes you look really hardcore :) At that time though, it meant something entirely different to me. I tried to avoid being caught in rain whenever possible after Shelly's accident. Shelly was (and still is) one of my best friends. Her life was cut short in a car accident on August 18th, 2010. She lost control of her car in the pouring rain while driving back to Johnson City, Tennessee. As it turns out, this run fell on the 7 month mark following her accident. At that point, something about the rain increased my anxiety. I had learned that rain had power over life and death. I just wanted to get out and run before it brought back any bad memories. I laced up my Gel Nimbus and headed out my parents' front door. I managed to get down the street (literally one minute into my run) when it started ... rain. And it was coming down at a good rate. I was only down the street, so I could have turned around and retreated to a dry home. I really needed to get my run in, though, and this presented a conundrum. I decided to get over it and the need to run won out. I pushed on. 
     It continued to rain heavily as I exited out of the neighborhood, seemingly increasing in volume as I put one foot in front of the other. I took the trails out toward Hummel Park. About one mile into the run, I actually found myself enjoying my rainy run. Even though the rain was making my clothes soggy and heavier feeling, I myself began to feel lighter. I used this time to talk to God, Shelly, or whoever would listen to me at that time. I missed my friend. A part of my heart felt less full without her around. With this run, it felt like something had returned to me. Maybe a little more peace of mind? Maybe it was determination to keep going, to keep putting one foot in front of the other. It was easy to feel sad after experiencing a deep loss. I had kept replaying in my mind how I possibly could have changed the outcome of that day back in August. Over and over. What if I had shot her a text that morning? Maybe just a few seconds would have made the difference, maybe I could have delayed her trip just for a short period. Maybe it would have been enough to keep her out of the path of that semi. It's easy to kick myself, thinking that I could have made the difference. I finally began to forgive myself, like the rain was washing the guilt away. There is a bridge that connects the front part of the park to a back area where the trails continue. Just past this bridge, there is an amphitheater where they put on concerts in the warmer months. I decided to run toward this amphitheater. I sat on the concrete ground where the performers would normally be staged. I looked out on the grassy expanse in front of me, watching the rain as it continued to fall from the sky. It was peaceful. Calming. Something struck me about just how green the grass was and how gray the sky had been. What an interesting contrast, perhaps symbolic of the fact that there is still beauty in a world with hardships. I was the only crazy person out there in the pouring rain. I sat there for a few minutes, the only company being the thoughts in my mind. It was then time to return home. The amphitheater had kept me dry for a few minutes, but I had to return home somehow :) The rain was still falling just as hard as it had been before my rest break. I ran back home. The run itself was about three and a half miles total. It wasn't fast or especially challenging. It was one of those that help your mind. It didn't change the past, though I wish more than anything that it could. It has been about six and a half years since Shelly passed away. Not a day goes by that I don't think of her. I miss her selflessness and her willingness to participate in whatever crazy scheme we could think of. I miss her laugh and her company. I know that I am blessed to have called her a friend. So many are not that fortunate. 
     Running is still a way that I feel close to Shelly. It seems to be a good way to communicate with her, with God, and again, with anyone who will listen. Shelly loved fall and stepping on the crunchy leaves, even going out of her way to step on one. I find myself doing the same on those fall days, just to let her know I am thinking of her. I have had many great runs, each one different and challenging in its own way. It heals me and helps me through life's greatest challenges. For that, I am thankful for the ability to run. 

Outrunning Crohn's Disease

Yesterday, my morning run saved my day. I don't talk much about my Crohn's disease, because it is still in the mild/moderate stages (which I am so grateful for! ). Most of the people I know who have Crohn's disease have had severe cases, complete with intestinal surgeries and/or ostomy bags. Because of this, I feel like I have no right to complain about my current situation. The most I usually have to think about it is when I take my 4 large pills every morning and the occasional unexpected urge to make a pit stop (sorry ... TMI). Yesterday, however, was one of the different days. I woke up at 3 am in so much discomfort, I couldn't go back to sleep for 2 hours. I was so bloated and nauseated and uncomfortable. No position or restroom break brought me any relief. This continued throughout the day (go figure on the day I see my GI ... glad my appointment was that day, though). After my appointment, I stopped at the Avon Town Hall to run around the trails. I figured at worst, I would just have to stop early and head back home (or rush into the town hall building for a potty break). Thankfully, I was able to get in about 4 miles with minimal discomfort ... on mile 3, I may have had a happy tear in my eye ... or it could have been my eyes watering because it was super cold ;) . It was a reminder of why I am so thankful for running. It reminds me that I am stronger than I realize some days. I was fatigued and a little uncomfortable the rest of the day and into today, but at that time,  I outran my Crohn's. I pray I will never take that ability for granted. It was a small victory in a long fight.  I know that this disease is progressive, that there may be days when running will be impossible, but right now is not that time. I must stay positive, hopeful, and determined. 

Happy 200th anniversary, Indiana!

A scenic and chilly day!

Duck couples :)

A Well Deserved Break

Not much running has been done in the last few weeks after the Monumental Half (still smiling from my PR! woot!). This could be because Alex and I went on vacation! That's a great reason to take a nice break from running. Alex and I have been trying to check some places off our bucket list (also known as the "before kids" list), and took a trip out to Hawaii! We spent our first few days on Oahu. Beautiful and extremely busy. We stayed by Waikiki beach, near a whole bunch of stores I cannot afford to shop at ;) We ate a lot of good food, took a nature tour of the North Shore, and visited Pearl Harbor (on Veteran's Day ... pretty awesome). 

Waikiki Beach at sundown

Where they film all those Hollywood movie scenes

My tootsies in the sand at Waikiki Beach

Scenes from North Shore nature tour

Monk seal on the North Shore

Waikiki Beach at Sunset

U.S.S. Arizona Memorial

 We then spent 4 days on the island of Maui! Maui is probably the most beautiful place I've ever been to! Amazing! Green scenery, mountains, blue water, beautiful beaches ... just paradise. One of our favorite things that we did was travel the Road to Hana. We saw waterfalls, stopped at local food stands, swan in the Seven Sacred Pools. It was awesome. We also went snorkeling, visited Haleakala National Park and drove to the summit (over 10,000 feet up!), and went to a luau. It is so much quieter there than Honolulu lol. Again, we ate lots of delicious food and our resort was beautiful. We also ate ice cream or gelato most nights ... it's vacation! 

Standing in front of a waterfall

The view from our balcony ... Amazing!

An artistic shot of Alex

Apparently this is from an opening scene in Jurassic Park

Eucalyptus Tree

Beautiful Black Sand Beach 

Self explanatory!

On our last day in Hawaii, we decided to hop a flight to the big Island and went to Volcanoes National Park. Alex really wanted to see the active volcano ... and hey, this was a once in a lifetime trip. Why not!? We saw some active lava flow, visited steam vents and hiked on hardened lava fields. It was a whirlwind trip, but I'm glad we did it!

Active Lava Flow

On top of hardened lava

It was an amazing trip! Some hiking, but no running! Alex and I did start back up when we returned home. I have just been doing some easier running to try and stay in shape and will build back the mileage up before half marathon training begins again. Yesterday was Thanksgiving, and Alex and I participated in the Gobble Gallop at our local YMCA. My intent was to just run it comfortably. I wanted to do this anyway, especially since I unintentionally found myself in a P90x workout class the night before the race. To my credit, it was supposed to be PiYo ... they had just moved up the class after PiYo because the gym was closing. My legs are so angry lol I did end up getting 3rd in my age group, no PR, though! Alex got first in his age group and won a pumpkin pie! Hooray for a fast husband :) Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

A Triumphant Return!

The Monumental Half Marathon has come and gone. All of the training miles have been completed and now it is time to rest. And I can rest knowing that I have done my best! I was not sure what to expect with this weekend's race. I still had some residual foot issues and had been working on my right hamstring muscles. Alex did one more round of dry needling on me Wednesday before the race .... in my opinion, it helped tremendously! I felt minimal strain in my hamstrings during the race, which was great! I was hoping to get in the ballpark of my PR (1:49:59 set in May 2014). I was not expecting to smash that PR by 4+ minutes! I ended up finishing in 1:45:50! With minimal discomfort in my hamstrings, and some mild foot issues, I was able to focus on the mental aspect of my running it seemed. I decided before the race that I was going to dedicate my efforts to the memory of my Grandma who passed away last month. She experienced so many hardships in her life and managed to stay strong in her faith and sense of self regardless of these struggles. If she faced these challenges with grace and strength, certainly I could focus for less than 2 hours on running a road race. My first mile was my slowest, but the rest of my race was consistent. My last 3 miles were actually my fastest. Usually, I tucker out around mile 11 and just try to keep moving to the finish line. Not this time! I feel like my training, better eating habits, and better fitness helped me tremendously. I also had thoughts of my grandma and all of the people I love to keep me strong in those final miles. It kept my head in the race. The 40 degree temperatures (perfect for running!) didn't hurt at all, either :)  Alex also had an amazing race! He set a PR by running the half in 1:39:02. I am so proud of him and how hard he has worked. We both made some big life changes this summer by kicking our eating and exercising habits in better gear, and it seemed to pay off.

Me ... waiting to dive into that post race chocolate milk!!! And Alex is there, too :)

The Monumental races are great. I love the course. It is so nice and flat! The volunteers were enthusiastic and helpful. There are cookies at the end ... and chocolate milk! I love chocolate milk. The medal is awesome (the Statehouse is on it ... my old tour guide stomping grounds)! Many of my friends also participated in one of the races that day. It is always fun to see them work for their personal goals. The only unusual race day detail was probably the announcer at the beginning of the race. He kept telling us to get into our "carols" .. pronouncing corrals like the tunes you sing at Christmas time ... lol. He must not have announced any running races before. Several of us who were already hanging out in our "carols" were getting some good giggles at this. Overall, it was a great day for racing. I am proud of my efforts and proud of my husband and his hard work. Now, it is time for some much needed rest. I need to work on my left foot a bit and hit some heavy glute strengthening so my hamstrings don't do all the work when I try to run fast. So here is to the beginning of an "off season." My next big race planned is the Mini Marathon in May 2017 (with the training series for this prior to the Mini). I will be sure to keep you updated on my running adventures and include some more personal posts over the next few months. 

Also .. go vote on Tuesday! I did my early voting last week!