Feeling Like a PAWStar

Over the past couple of weeks, I've been trying to give myself the full Team PAWS experience. I've heard about how fun the social events can be, and because I've been needing an extra push during my marathon training, I figured that feeling like a part of a team would help make my runs less of a mental challenge.

Tom, Nicco, and I attended a Team PAWS happy hour at Deuces & the Diamond Club up in Wrigleyville. The bar has a huge dog-friendly patio, and Team PAWS had a cabana reserved for the occasion. I didn't know what to expect; I assumed that everyone would be nice, because animal lovers seem to have such great hearts, but sometimes I get nervous meeting a bunch of new people. My ever-present insecurities seem to come out during events like these.

The happy hour was a blast. While Team PAWS has held other happy hours throughout the summer, I hadn't been able to make any of them, so we were the new kids. Everyone was friendly and made us feel welcome, and Nicco seemed to enjoy meeting all of the other dogs. He was the littlest, which is no surprise, but that never seems to bother him. While chatting with one of my teammates, she mentioned that she and another girl bring their dogs to nursing homes to visit with the residents.

Best. Idea. Ever.

One of my biggest fears is that I'll simply go through the motions of my life. When I'm feeling a bit melancholy, it's usually because I'm not fully engaged or I don't feel fulfilled. And when I feel that way, I know that I need to focus on someone other than myself. The worst thing I can do is get stuck in my own head, and I've been trying to think of ways to do more good in the world. Helping others will break up the routine of my days, and also help me focus on someone else's needs.

After the happy hour, I went onto the Chicago Cares website to see if they had any opportunities to bring pets to nursing homes. They had several sessions available, so Nicco and I will begin volunteering during the week after the marathon. I am incredibly excited! Many of the people who we will be visiting are bedridden and cannot participate in the other activities at the home. Hopefully Nicco's sweet demeanor will bring some cheer.

That being said, I need a change in my routine now. Sticking with my training runs has helped me focus on myself and my well-being, but I need to start giving back.

Coming off of the Team PAWS happy hour excitement, I decided to sign up for volunteer orientation at PAWS. I attended orientation this week and will be volunteering a few times a month in Dog Town. As a volunteer, I'll be walking dogs, playing with them (yeah, it's brutal...), cleaning up the dogs' suites, helping potential adopters find their new furry baby, and anything else that needs to be done. My goal is to become an Adoption Counselor, as I found our counselor to be helpful the day that we adopted Nicco. My other goal is to have a PAWS volunteer apron with my name embroidered on it. After all, I want to look fabulous while volunteering :)

The orientation only strengthened my commitment to the PAWS mission and my excitement over being a member of Team PAWS. This week marked another milestone, hitting my fundraising target! THANK YOU to all of the amazing people who donated to my Team PAWS page. You are all PAWStars and I'm so lucky to have you in my life!

I still have two months left, so I will continue my goal to SMASH my target. As I'm $3 over my target, I will be having a party in the fall to thank all of the wonderful donors. To be on that invite list - or to just help a wonderful no-kill shelter - please click on the link below:

http://paws.convio.net/site/TR/TeamPAWS/TeamPAWS?px=1031996&pg=personal&fr_id=1040

Speaking of the marathon, training is going quite well. I had my longest run of the season yesterday, a "light" 15 miles. The first half of the run was fantastic; I felt strong, full of energy, and in great spirits. Once we reached the turnaround point, things went downhill. Yesterday morning was both warm and humid, with zero breeze coming from the lakefront as we headed back north. My body was not happy! But we pushed through the run, and the pace group finished strong. Next weekend we tackle 16 miles, which was my most difficult run last year. I'm hoping to change that story this time around.

Less than two months left until the Chicago Marathon...let's do this!

Adventures in Ageing and Marathon Training

I've never really been someone who fears growing older. Truthfully, I've enjoyed ageing - becoming more secure in many facets of my life, drinking wine that cost more than $5 a bottle, embracing my love of hanging out at home some weekends, and now, I'm excited to move into the next phase of my life - marriage and starting a family.

But when it come to marathon training, ageing, for lack of a better word, sucks.

I've read about how after a certain age, your metabolism slows down, and that is definitely happening to me. In my early 20's, I would eat tons of junk and drink like a fish, and I was fairly thin. Now, I don't have that same leeway - even though I love candy and chips, and I will have a piece of chocolate or two often :) But now I am learning the importance of fueling my body properly during the week, not only to deal with my slowing metabolism, but so that I don't feel disgusting during my mid-week and long weekend runs.

My training pace group leader has been talking about the importance of eating and drinking properly during the week, and I am believing in this much more than last year. I don't know if I was just lucky last year, but I felt pretty good throughout the majority of my runs. This year, I am feeling fine - but I want to feel great.

For the rest of my training, I am aiming to do the following to improve my marathon experience:

- Be in bed by 10:00 each night. I can stay up and read (not on my phone), but I think I would feel a little more rested if I actually started lying in bed early. I would love to do my mid-week runs in the morning, and I'm just not there yet.

- No alcohol Sunday evening-Thursday night. I don't drink much during the week, but I do go to the occasional happy hour, and I use that as an excuse to skip mid-week runs sometimes. This will keep me on track with my mid-week runs, and it'll probably make me feel better anyway.

- More veggies in my diet. I have improved my eating habits slightly, but I really don't eat enough veggies (I do eat plenty of fruit).

- More yoga and pilates. I have a couple of pilates and yoga DVDs that I can do quickly in the mornings, so that my body can bounce back quickly from my longer training runs. Plus, I keep hearing about how a strong core can help your body run more efficiently, and I haven't seen my abs since 2000.

We'll see how this all works out...wish me luck!

The Vegas, Marathon Training, and a Proposal

Well, these past couple of months have been a whirlwind. Let’s see if I can break it down for you….

1.      Vacation to The Vegas….

Many of you know that for my birthday, Tom planned a vacation for the two of us. In the almost three years that we have been dating, we have never taken a vacation by ourselves, without a wedding or other activity attached to it. For the past couple of years, we’ve been talking about taking a real vacation and relaxing together, and I was so excited that we were finally going to get a break from the grind of our everyday lives. We planned to take the trip a week after my birthday, and I began counting down the days.

Except I had no idea where we were going.

Laid back and Type B, I am not, and I kept peppering Tom with questions these past few months. Where are we going? Is it a beach vacation or an adventure vacation? Do I have to buy a swimsuit? (I would typically ask that last question while stuffing Cheetos into my mouth. No shame….)

Two weeks before my birthday, Tom let me know that we would be going to The Vegas. For The OC fans out there, I am like Sandy Cohen in that I LOVE The Vegas. Buffet is my favorite word. Glitter is my favorite color.  On my actual birthday, Tom let me know that we would be staying at the Bellagio (fountains! Chihuly sculptures! BUFFET!) and that we would be seeing Ka by Cirque du Soleil. I was super psyched.

And completely oblivious to Tom’s master plan.

Tom had promised to take me out for a nice dinner our first night in The Vegas, something I deemed as completely not necessary (he had planned the vacation, after all), but I was excited about going out to eat anyway. The last time I went to The Vegas, I was 21 and completely broke – my memories of food include an amazing buffet and daily trips to Burger King. Now that I was a full-fledged grown up, I was looking forward to some good meals.

Dressed up and ready for some Vegas-quality food, Tom and I headed to the Eifel Tower restaurant at the Paris hotel – what I thought would be the last surprise of the trip. While we sat at the bar waiting for our table (Tom is always early….and sometimes I am early as a result…), Tom commented on the tables for two next to the windows. The restaurant has huge windows, and these tables overlooked the Bellagio fountains and the rest of the strip. I agreed with Tom that those tables seemed fabulous, and turned back to my glass of wine. We ended up being seated at one of those tables, which I thought was simply lucky.

And then Tom started talking.

You have to understand that Tom is just a nice person and says sweet things often. We are vocal people and I strongly believe that we should constantly communicate our feelings, so I didn’t think it was weird when he started saying how he’ll always be supportive of me and how he appreciates that I support him, and did I know how he knew we’d always support each other?

Wait a minute. My context clues kicked in and I finally realized that OH MY GOD THIS WAS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. Tom’s hand moved towards his jacket pocket and I said, “Wait a minute, are you doing this right now? Are you being serious right now?” He nodded and asked that big question, and for just a minute, I was cool. I said that I would marry him, and then I decided to express my feelings in the most articulate, calm way…..

“Shut UP! SHUT UP! OH MY GOD SHUT UP STOP IT I CAN’T EVEN WITH YOU RIGHT NOW SHUT UP! When did you plan this?! How did I not know about this? WHERE DID YOU HIDE THAT RING?! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!”

(I know what you’re thinking. Tom is the luckiest man alive.)

It was a truly fabulous night. Tom had worked with the restaurant on planning this, so there was a photographer to capture the entire proposal. Our server brought over a bottle of champagne and roses after the proposal, and we leisurely enjoyed our food and wine. If you have seen the pictures, you can see that I’m staring at my hand for most of them. I didn’t even look at the ring until I stopped my “Shut up” tirade. Once I did, I couldn’t stop staring at my hand. It’s been three weeks, and I still can’t stop staring at my hand.

After dinner, we called our immediate family and some good friends, and went out to celebrate. The rest of the trip was fantastic – we went to the Michael Jackson Cirque de Soleil show and Ka, checked out some fun restaurants, went indoor skydiving, and explored the shark reef at Mandalay Bay. I think we will try to go back to The Vegas at least once every two years!

Thanks to everyone for all of the support, love, Facebook “likes”, and general awesomeness. This has been such an exciting and wonderful time, and we are lucky to have such kind friends and family around us!

2.      Marathon Training

I’ve officially started training for the 2014 Chicago Marathon. For some reason, I thought that training would be a breeze the second time around – and maybe it would be, if I had run regularly during the off-season. This brings me back to D2: The Mighty Ducks, when Gordon Bombay is watching his reunited team play for the first time in a year, and asks Averman, “Haven’t you guys been training in the off-season?” Averman replies, “I knew we forgot something…”

I’m the Ducks, basically. I tried to keep in shape during the off-season with occasional runs, barre classes, and CorePower yoga, but I failed a bit. And while I’m fine with my extra padding, it’s not making my training any easier. I now have extra motivation to be in great shape (since I have to fit into a dress next year), so I will be super committed to my training this time around.

I’m training with Chicago Area Runners Association (CARA) again this year, making the long runs bearable because of the company/pace groups. I am trying to figure out which pace group to run with, as my old pace group leader Robyn is leading the run/walk group again this year (and I love her!) but I am debating kicking things up a notch. We shall see….

3.      Bravo, Pretty Little Liars, and Books

Can we talk about my favorite Bravo shows? Is anyone watching Real Housewives of Orange County? I am loving the new women (Shannon and Lizzie) and though I love Heather Dubrow, the ladies are correct in that she totally comes across as if she thinks she’s above them. Make no mistake about it – she IS above them – but she could stand to loosen up a little bit. When Vicki “Woo hoo!” Gunvalson is becoming the show’s voice of reason, you know that everything has turned upside down.

I'm also completely obsessed with Ladies of London. It's my new goal in life to somehow move to London and become BFFs with Caroline and Marissa. Those women have the most fabulous lives and I'm enjoying them so far.

PLL is back for its fifth season, which somehow is not nearly as outrageous as seasons past - in a good way. Tom and I continue to scream at the TV on a weekly basis, of course, but at least now the show is moving somewhere. I also continue to scream every time Toby comes on screen, and my precious Caleb is returning for this week's 100th episode. Clearly, I am going to be freaking out during the entire episode.

Lastly, I have been reading a ton. A friend started a book club at the beginning of this year, which meets on a monthly basis. I've never been part of an actual book club before and it's fantastic. I've been reading a lot of books I wouldn't normally pick up, and the meetings have been so much fun. It's awesome meeting interesting and fun people, but it's even better that they like to read too! My high school girlfriends started a book club as well, so I've been able to read even more. Some favorites have been The Fault in Our Stars, Where'd you go, Bernadette?, Orange is the New Black, Labor Day, Wonder, and The Happiness Project. I've read some other books on my own, and am always game for new suggestions!

That's all I have for now. I'll be back in the next few weeks - off to keep looking at wedding hair and makeup ideas and to read my new book...

Happiness Projects, Dog Beaches, and Atlanta Housewives

About two weeks ago, I started a happiness project. Inspired by a book with the same name, I decided to embark on a mission to improve my life and work to become just a bit happier. While I have a wonderful life - a fantastic partner, good friends and family, a job that I enjoy - there is always room for improvement. I will be tackling a different goal every month, continuing to build on previous goals each month so that it is a cumulative effort.

My first goal? Improve my mental and physical health.

I can be a bit of a ball of stress, have a bit of a coffee addiction, and need to get off my lazy butt most days. I am working to exercise fives time a week, meditate and/or count to 30 when I'm stressed or anxious about something, remind myself of five things for which I am grateful on a daily basis, and limit myself to one cup of coffee a day.

So far, I'm doing OK. I've been exercising four times a week (trying to get to that five!) and I've been sticking to my one coffee drink a day. I am trying to go to bed earlier, so that I'm not as exhausted the next day (and so I don't need as much coffee!), and that has been hit or miss. Some days I'm able to fall asleep by 10:30, while the next day I'm up until midnight. As a night owl, this will be the hardest goal for me to achieve, but I think it will be the most satisfying.

I've been doing yoga again and I'm not sure why I stopped doing it in the first place. While it's hard to drag my butt off of the couch, I feel so much better after a class. Working out more has been lowering my stress level, which is incentive enough for me to continue practicing yoga. This week, I am going to start running frequently and I hope that will only continue to improve my mood.

In other news, I continue to be obsessed with my sweet baby Nicco. Tom and I have been taking advantage of the warm weather and bringing Nicco to the dog beach. When Nicco goes to the dog beach, he thinks it's the best day of his life. We're able to take him off the leash and let him run around with the other dogs, and he's sporting a serious doggy grin on his face the entire time. My only wish is that we could find a dog beach or a huge dog park a bit closer to us, although it's been a ton of fun meeting other dog owners up at Montrose.

Can we talk about the Real Housewives of Atlanta reunion? Momma Joyce is just drunk the entire time now, right? I seriously thought she lost her mind on tonight's episode. And why does Nene seem to think she's so above these women? Is it because she's been on a couple of episodes of Glee? Does she seriously turn down acting roles? Because last time I checked, she seems to just be playing herself when she's on a TV shows besides Housewives.

I just can't watch this show after the reunion. This season was ridiculous to watch and I just need to cut a Housewives series from my TV lineup.

THANK YOU to everyone who has donated to my Team PAWS page! I am overwhelmed by all of the support and I am just incredibly grateful. I am halfway to my target and it's still early, so I think I'm on track to have a party in the fall for all of the fabulous donors :)

See you in two weeks!

-LC

Running 26.2 - The Second Time Around

Remember that time I ran the 2013 Chicago Marathon and said that I was going to run it again in 2014?

There was a part of me that thought about putting off the marathon until 2015. Training for the race was a fantastic experience, but it was a huge time commitment. I was tempted to sleep in on Saturdays this summer and be able to enjoy a couple of beers at Friday night happy hours, but something (or rather, someone) made me change my mind.

His name is Nicco.

The day we adopted Nicco, cone and all.

 

When Tom and I moved in together two years ago, we started talking about the idea of adopting a dog. We both realized that taking care of a puppy would be a great deal of work, and agreed to put it off until we were really ready for the responsibility. I began pushing a bit harder for a dog last year, and when I signed up for the marathon in 2013, Tom said that we could get a dog when I finished the marathon.

 

Best. Motivation. Ever.

 

As you all know, Tom and I adopted our sweet baby Nicco right before the new year. Judging by the hundreds of photos I have on my phone, I love our puppy quite a bit, as does Tom. We have PAWS Chicago to thank for helping us find our wonderful dog.

 

PAWS is a no-kill shelter in Chicago that saves the lives of nearly 6,000 homeless pets every year. Started by a DePaul alum, PAWS takes in animals off the streets and from other shelters, treating those with illnesses and providing spay/neuter services to those in need of them. Animals are kept in a cage-free environment and the wonderful volunteers provide them with love and support as they find their forever homes.

 

I am eternally grateful to PAWS for the care they gave Nicco as he waited for us to find him. I sometimes wonder how Nicco felt in the days leading up to his adoption, if he was scared, hurt, or alone. But I know that PAWS provided Nicco with everything he needed, and because of PAWS, we found the best part of our little family. The day we adopted Nicco, the volunteers tied a red PAWS Chicago Alumni bandana around his neck as we prepared to take him home. As we walked down Clybourn Avenue with our little buddy, a number of people walking down the street congratulated us on our new dog. It's exciting to see the impact and reach that PAWS has on the community, and I've met countless dog and cat owners who adopted their pets from PAWS.

 

When I decided to run the marathon this year, I signed up to run as part of Team PAWS. If you've watched a big race in Chicago, I'm sure you've seen the Team PAWS members in their navy tanks, often with the names of their pets written on the back. Team PAWS raises about one third of the funding that PAWS needs to carry out their valuable work. As part of being on Team PAWS, I will be working hard to raise money to support this wonderful organization.

Running a marathon takes a great deal of dedication, from committing time to training to mentally preparing to making it through the race. Last year, this seemed like a daunting task, but it ended up being a wonderful experience. I'm even more excited to train this year, especially as a member of one of the best teams around.

I will be posting blogs every two weeks, talking about my training, new developments with Team PAWS, and sharing cute pictures of Nicco. I may also dish on my favorite Bravo shows, as I anticipate spending many more nights in, catching up on my DVR shows.

To donate to Team PAWS, please visit my fundraising page here. If I hit my goal, I will wear a tutu on race day and if I exceed my goal, I will throw a party to thank all donors. Let's save some animals!