Does Anyone Like Me? (One last chance to win some Brooks)

Have you checked out my giveaway?  (not the point of this post btw keep reading!)

Today, at temple, I read from the Torah.  For those of you who are not so versed in Judaism, that mainly means that I read Hebrew in a sing-song fashion to the congregation.  To read from the Torah is considered a very important thing and an honor. Not everyone can do this, because a) you have to know how to read Hebrew; b) you have to know how to read the notes to the Hebrew and c) you have to know how to read Hebrew without the vowels (very hard!).  This is a very nerve racking event because its not like you can just get it wrong and move on, but instead each word you say most be perfect or you must repeat the word. To say I was nervous, is an understatement.

Someone said to me after, "you looked like you were being led to slaughter"

I have been practicing my lines for weeks with the help of a tape and Aaron's father.  I actually thought that I was doing ok until Tuesday night that is.  When Aaron began trying to help me and noticed all my errors eek (i am proud to say today I was error free).  I immediately started to lose confidence and freaked out and marched up the stairs calmly called Aaron's dad for help.

But I made it! With my horrible voice and all and even got wonderful comments like "You are an inspiration" (not sure if that is because I was an inspiration to get up there with this voice, I don't think so..I hope!)

If you know me in person, you know I am anything but shy. And I would like to say I am a pretty confident gal and I am.  I am the first to network, first to go for the job, and first to raise my hand if I don't understand a question in school.

But there is a part of me that shines through sometimes when I am uncertain or insecure, here in Torah it was me being extremely nervous and worried, in running it comes through when I don't know how my run will go (and it went ok today YAY), and in blogger world it comes through in whether I will be accepted....

I love blogging and in the short time that I have been doing it, I have felt that I have "met" some amazing people and even done some cool things and I can't wait to do more and meet more people who are all wonderful and welcoming!  But there is always an uncertainty that I feel.  I think it comes from not being the "cool kid" in middle school or high school but rather the kid with the braces and glasses and eh a bit overweight (until my Junior Year at least).  I had an amazing group of girlfriends and I loved that time in my life but I was never "cool" or fit in with that group (and never wanted to be).

Blogging is kind of like that for me in sense, it is not so much the "cool kids" that will never let you hang out with them but there are the big, well-known bloggers and little, newbie bloggers like me.  Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that these big bloggers are like those "wonderful" cool kids in high school.  But rather that I still get that uncertainty..will they like me?  will they reply to my comments?  will they read my blog?

And so far, its been great.  I can't believe when I get tweets from the "popular" girls and they care and know what is going on in my world.  Wow! I guess I am not in high school anymore!!!  But I have still got a long way to go to totally fit in and have the blogging world know me and like me enough to stop by my blog just because and read a post or two but on my way towards this journey the uncertainty still hits home - "nobody commented," "why did not so many people read my post" a little voice says.  But as I continue this journey, I guess I have to let go of my insecurities and let people like me just for me...

Let me know your thoughts and gain an extra entry into my giveaway (or just let me know because I love to hear from you!)

Aaron's Reset Button (and My Brooks Giveaway)

Have you checked out my giveaway, read further in this post for more fun chances to win a pair of Brooks Glycerins!

So on with it....

Whether or not you have had the "lucky" opportunity of studying for the Bar Exam two bar exams in one summer, you have probably hear that this exam is a little stressful.

It can do this to you...

Or this....

You can have fits of screaming crying temper tantrums when you can not decide what to eat for dinner or you can drop your new $90 favorite glass bottle of perfume all over the floor or you can mentally freak out and call your tutor five times in a day plus a few text and emails or finally bring only pens to the examine when you need pencils.  I am clearly denying that this was me at any point last summer. Nope I was cool as a cucumber. Right? Sure?.....ehhh

Hey, I am not defending myself but after 7 years of higher education all culminating in this one 3 day hellish event where you have to take six hours of testing a day answer 250 multiple choice questions, complete a practical, and write 15 essays, you would be a little edgy too right?? (please say right...) You might even take it upon yourself to study 14 hours a day for three months.  All this studying to get a D+, yup that is right, you heard me, you ONLY need a D + to pass the bar exam, and I am here to attest (bar word) that it was the hardest D+ I ever earned in my life!!!

Anyway, get to the point here Stephanie (or as some call me Stephanator - two extra giveaway points if you tell me what this means and if you have a nickname hint look at my guest post @SweettoothRunner - leave a reply on my giveaway post). Well, the point is that I was very scared of this exam and would not feel too good about my chances when I got, oh say 10 in a row wrong (it happens, believe me).  It was then that my wonderful husband introduced me to the:

RESET BUTTON

Many of you have probably heard of the reset button, in fact it was the amazing Lindsay over @Cotter Crunch that inspired this post. But if you have not heard of it, a reset button is essentially, for all intents and purposes  a "do-over."  You wipe the slate clean and move on with a clear head like nothing has ever happened.  While I sure needed this basic concept for the bar review, when 10 questions appeared wrong, I absolutely need it (especially lately for running).  It allows me to move on when I have those bad runs and to move forward.

What is different about Aaron's Reset button. Well here is his story.  

Growing up Aaron was and still is a hockey goalie.  This is a hard position for anyone mentally, especially a kid.   Once a goal goes in, you feel it is all your fault and then you can't shake it.  You keep thinking about it, just like those bad runs and then before you know it another goal goes in or you have another bad run.

This is what happened to "Little Aaron" a goal would go in and he would be so consumed with that last goal that another one would go right in after.  So what did he do?  Video games to the rescue.  In his hockey video game, whenever someone scored on him, he could just press the "Reset Button" and try again, clean slate.  And he decided to apply this to relife, he even drew a reset button on his hand to remind him, Beep Reset!!! 

Now will this solve everything? No.

But is it helpful?  Hell yea. 

In life, you can apply this concept to many things hockey, the bar, a bad day, or a bad run.  It is something I try my best to live by.  

For an extra chance at the giveaway, do you have a reset button and when do you use? Make sure to leave your comment on my giveaway post!

Loop Swoop and Pull - Tying Your Shoes and My First Giveaway

Check out my guest posts on Monday @sweettoothrunner and @runningwithsass...Anyway...

It is no secret that my feet have not been cooperating lately and have been VERY picky about finding a new pair of shoes.  I think it the past month I have been the proud owner of 6 or 7 pairs of shoes and have only found one that works!!  Indeed I did not have that much trouble finding my soulmate (who recently built and finished my our walk in closet, pictures to come), but if I had to pick I would rather have trouble finding shoes, you can't win them all.

This 

OR

That?

In a very brief recap, if you are tired of hearing about this already, apparently I have been running in the wrong shoes for three years (maybe?) and now I am adjusting to a new shoe, the Brooks Glycerin.   And since I finally actually found a shoe that works for me, hopefully, Brooks has been nice enough to let me give away a pair of these shoes. 

It was love at first site with these shoes (come on, just look at the laces does it not scream matching outfits and I am currently having the appropriate attire made lol) it felt light and airy and enjoyable!

In fact, I currently wear these shoes everywhere:

On the Run (love the hands here)

For Friday Night Dinner (yes I am wearing my compression socks too, I am making a statement lol)

I wear them EVERYWHERE - at work, to parties, to affairs - as I deal with my planta facitis (among other things) these are my best friends

Tired of this picture yet?

Anyway, Brooks filled me in on some more information about these shoes.  Apparently these shoes:

"mold to any foot shape and have Omega flex grooves that enhance flexibility and improve gait efficiency-for the smoothest, most comfortable run possible." 

Whatever this means, it seems hopefully to be working for me...I think? because as well know I am in a bit of a rut.  Is it the transition to new shoes, I think so, I think I am learning how to run in a more neutral shoe, but the experts don't seem to buy it.

Ok, so what is the problem with these shoes that are so great you ask? Well, its me as usual.  My feet have still been giving me some trouble, my right foot has been, off and on, hurting on the top.  Google revealed tons of Runner World forums telling me I am not alone (thank goodness!) and that I need to change up how I tie my shoe laces! (I think it is also a bit of my planta facitis). But I found some wonderful stuff.. check out these videos from Runner's World and this site on lacing methods of all kinds, never knew there were so many ways to tie my shoes! And of course, the wonderful and amazing Lauren @healthontherun, gave me some great tips.

But Aaron has done a combo of lacing methods that seems to be the best if you have pain on the top of your foot. Now it is not 100% because there is more to it for me, but this way is pretty awesome.  In this "Aaron combo method" my foot is snug in the shoe all around the sides of my foot but not on the top and the laces never come on done!

This is my good luck race shirt, so I can always find him...thoughts?

Now without further ado, his video premier (yes I had to pull him from video games to do this, thank you honey).  Plus check out my little background fun (on a final note I am apparently the only one that does not know to use Youtube v. Utube and let me tell you my cell phone is not happy!)



I hope this method helps! Let me know please...And now the thing you have all been waiting for...

MY FIRST GIVEAWAY

One lucky winner will win a pair of these Glycerin's for their own use and there are lot of chances to win (please leave one comment per entry).  Today, I will let you know the first ways to win and then during the week there will be other chances to enter again hidden throughout my other posts this week.  The contest will end on July 17th at 1:00 p.m., the start of Aaron's Birthday BBQ Bash :) (if you are in my area and want to join us please do!)

Here is how to enter (remember one comment per each entry & you MUST tell me that you have done each in an individual comment please, I am no mind reader thanks!)

1) Mandatory become a follower of this blog 

2) Tweet I want to win a pair of Brooks Running Shoes from Runforfun (or something of that nature)

3) Follow me on Twitter @26runforfun2

4) Like Brooks on Facebook and tell them I sent you

5)Tell me if you have ever had top of the foot pain and how you solved it

6) Starting Monday check out my guest posts at SweetToothRunner and Running with Sass (amazing ladies!)

On one final aside, thanks for all the comments on my running rut, I finally had a good workout on the elliptical today, so here's hoping!!!

Like the new shirt, I got this and more at yesterday's FitBloggin event!

Stephanie's Slump....Makes Her Laugh??? Can you help?

I know that is the weirdest title ever but I wanted to use all of these titles in some respect so thought I would combine them, why not?

So, I have a bit of a story to tell, which some of you know bits and pieces of and as avid amazing runners maybe you gurus can help me figure out what is going on, because I have NO clue and thus have no choice, but to cry, yell, pout, stomp up the stairs laugh.  As you all know by now (because I like to tell everyone who will listen), this is me a few weeks ago

I was on top of the world, ok, mellow dramatic, but it was really exciting for me to place in a race :)  After the race, I relaxed, I had a really easy week of exercise (even though the race was only five miles) and in the meantime dealt with shoe problem after problem, no shoe would work for me!!!

Everyone said something different to me, planta facitis, the wrong type of shoes etc. Maybe it is a combo?  It is clear that I am battling with mild planta facitis.  While the shoe store thinks I have been running in the wrong shoes for three years contributing to IT Band pain, my PT does not think so, he has said they were structurally ok for me and so is the more neutral shoe with an orthodic that the shoe store set me up with.

I don't know. I know I have planta facitis (because I can feel it!) and I know my IT Band has not hurt that much since I have gotten the new shoes, so who knows. But the PT usually knows best!

So what's the problem you ask? Shouldn't everything be fine and dandy now? Well, yes, but then if you answered yes you do not know how I have the ability to add complexities to my running or lack there of because lately my running has become more of a "run/walk/fix shoes" type of ordeal.

It all started when I finally got these new beautiful Brooks, I love them (well actually it started before then and note GIVEAWAY next week for these awesome shoes!), but my planta facitis was still bothering me a bit but in the top of my foot and heel. Why? Likely the orthodic, while very helpful, raised my foot and I tied my shoes too tight = pain = Aaron to the rescue. We tried many, a many tying methods for help (in my Giveaway I will go into detail) to finally get a tying method that seems to work (fingers crossed). But it has meant a lot of shoe tying issues = running, stopping, retying, running, relacing, trying to make the shoe tight enough (I like my shoes tight, and it is hard to make them looser to help me run pain free. Trying to find what works for me is exhausting and frustrating. But like I said, I think we have it, tightness without top of the foot pain, score!

You still with me?

So what then is the problem NOW you ask? Well, my running.  Remember back in the good old days (a month ago), when I was running 7:30 - 8:00 min. pace. Well...last week I went to a running group. I told them that my pace was 7:30-8:00, uhhh apparently not. Apparently, my pace is now a 10:00 min. mile with 4 stops in 9 miles.  I have no problem with different times and speeds, but the change in times and speeds here is HUGE.  I felt like I had never run before and was soooo sore.  The next day, my recovery ellitipical day, again, no good, could not get myself going faster than 150 strides per min, as opposed to my normal 160-170s..eeek!!  My 3 miles on Tuesday was faster but a major struggle for three miles.  And yesterday, on the leg press, with NO weights, my leg shook like never before!!!!

Hmmm, what can this be now??

1) The shoes - I think so, PT says no, no

2) Dehydration - Nutritionist says no, I am very well hydrated

3) Fuel - I am very good at that, trust me!

4) Sleep - 8-9 hrs a night!!

5) Rest/Overtraining - my training schedule is 15 miles a week right now at most

6) Iron - tested and perfect

7) Yoga in a heated, but not hot yoga, room - Trainer says no way, other coaches say yes

8) Loose laces - ran with them tight the other day

Hmph, hmph, hmph. PT's prescription - 2 rest days and 4 miles on Saturday as if I was running a race for the last three.

But, I would love to hear from all of you on the front lines! What do you think it is? Am I in a running funk? Has this ever happened to you?

Meanwhile stay tuned for my giveaway up this weekend/next week!!

Quick add on, guess what DC folks, I am coming to visit - Sept. 2 -5th YAY! Can I twist anyone's arm for a run, meet up, or housing lol

Wedding Woes

I met my husband on the Kosher side of our school's cafeteria, a typical way to meet your husband if you are Jewish and attending a Jewish school.  I have always been a go-getter and pretty much hounded my future innocent, naive husband into coming on a makeshift date with me that night to a school organization's ice skating trip.  I lured  him in with the chance to iceskate, as a hockey player he could not resist.  I stuck with him all night as he "taught" me how to skate - even though I already knew how.   At the end of the night, when he offered to take others home I made sure to get the front seat in the car.  He had no idea what was happening.  I called our mutual friend and made sure to get his screen-name (yes screen-name) and before he knew it, a relationship was born.  That was our freshman year.  We have now been together 7 1/2 years and today, on our 3rd anniversary, I could not be happier, I am still head over heels for the guy I fell in love with within two weeks of dating.  It has not always been easy, we have struggled through difficult times, but I would never go back.  He is my best friend, my confidant, my partner in life, without him I do not know what I would do (can you tell generally from my blog?)

Our first picture

In the last year of college, all I wanted was to be Mrs. Aaron.  And he knew it, BOY did I let him know it.  The day our friends came home engaged, I was enraged (hey, they were together less time than us, leave me alone, I told you I am a go-getter).  It was Aaron's mother who sealed the deal.  As she said at our wedding, I am a mother of daughters, I said to Aaron four years IS a long time to wait. You can get engaged she said, and have a long engagement.  After Aaron proposed, she started again, pestering about plans for the wedding and starting to plan, a long engagement became a little over a year - I love her.  As "fate" may have it, she just knew because very sadly, my mother-in-law passed away from cancer, the May after our wedding, if we had waited, she would not have been there at our wedding.

Engaged a few days after Graduation 

 Mr. and Mrs. Aaron

Shower!

Engaged in Boston

So, why wedding woes.  I would love to say the days and months leading up to our wedding went smoothly.  And most did. I LOVED "playing" wedding as I called it.  Aaron believes I loved that more than the actual marriage.   The wedding, in my opinion, was perfect but it was not always easy!

The biggest dilemma came two months before our wedding.  We were home for Passover. That first morning home, my father sat me down and said "now don't panic, but there are rumors that your wedding's catering hall has gone bankrupt!" Panic, me, no! Actually, I have to admit I was pretty calm, we went over to the hall to confirm our suspicions, and unfortunately we were right, this aged-old highly respected catering hall had gone under and taken our money and wedding with it! That day, we scrambled.  We scrambled to find a new catering hall, to order new invitations, to find new hotels, to blow dry open the old invitations so that we could still use the envelopes.  Luckily, we did it all and found a new perfect catering hall.  I told the hall, that this event was "Bershet" a yiddush term, meaning Meant to Be.  I could not have been happier.

Here is a glimpse:

Watch my mother-in-law fixing my veil...

While there are more stories to share:

1)  shopping for a shawl for my mother in law the day before my wedding;

2) my sister-in-law not fitting into her dress at 8 months pregnant (and my mother-in-law finding a new one in her size in TN);

3) my bridesmaid deciding for realistic financial reasons she could not be in the wedding,
4) finding a hall that would meet everyone's needs;
5) having an incorrect marriage contract,
6) my father trying to fix my flowers

7) not having flowers (uh we had candles and rose pedals instead, they wanted $85 a pop for this!)

8) dress and shoes not working with choreographed dance

9) the Chubbah falling down during the rehearsal

Enough said.  The day was ours and it was perfect in many ways.  I feel extremely blessed to lead the life I live and thankful that you all let me share a bit of it with you.  I love you Aaron.  And here is to many many more years of health, love, and happiness! Oh yea, I almost forgot, what is the third year, I believe it is the year of the treadmill and elliptical (who needs diamonds!)

 Bedakin

 Coming Down the Aisle with Mammy's (Grandma's) eyes watching over me

 Almost there

 7 Times Around

Fly me to the Moon

 Horah

 Happiness

 Cake

 Yum! ;)

Our little usher

Debbi, we love you and miss you more than words can say, and know that you are looking down on us today.

Not Every Successful Run Means a PR

Ever since I can remember, I have measured my success in running by the time. What time was a success varied over the years but largely time mattered!  That does not mean that other things did not matter but first and foremost, as much as I hate to admit, it was about the time. I was ecstatic when I set a PR or increased my speed and disappointed in myself or sad when I did not, especially when it did not even come close.  And I am not saying this has totally changed and I have done a complete 180 where I will never care about time because to be honest as a runner, I care.  However, this weekend, my 8 miles taught me this:

I don't have to have a great time to have a successful run, in fact I can have an awful, down right dreadful run and it can still be a success, because hey I am out here, I am doing it and that in itself is an achievement.

As some of you may recall, I am having some shoe problems. In fact shoes and I are not in anyway getting a long lately. Which pretty much resulted in my tearful phone calls to my husband and my father on Saturday morning when I tried to run 8 miles and ran 3 minutes (yes minutes not miles!) instead due to massive foot pain, which I figured was shoe related (this being my 6th pair, in uhhh I week). I was pretty distraught, clearly, about the lack of shoes to run it. So the hubby and I high tailed it over to the Running Company and got some good advice.

And the results... Uh apparently I have been in the wrong shoe for ummm 3 years (according to them anyway, PT does not think so as much).  They explained that while I do pronate, the Brooks that I love so dearly are too much to correct my pronation and could actually be causing my IT Band pain, figures.   And the foot pain, not shoe pain, but some of my planta facitis that I have been dealing with (yes I am a mess, do you still love me?).  So they put some orthodics in my shoes and WOW it made a world of difference! I was soo excited to say the least, this might help the foot pain and the knee pain  YAY :)

So out we went on Sunday morning to give these babies a test drive, Aaron in blades and me in the shoes. Well, by mile 2 I was drenched and breathing hard at a pace that usually is a jog for me.  I could try to explain why, but why bother, it just is what it is.  It was hard to continue, plus to make matters worse I had to keep stopping, to stretch the IT Band, to adjust the compression socks, to drink water, to, to, to. etc. At one point, I got so annoyed I tore off my garmin and threw it to Aaron saying just take this thing away. My encouraging knight in shining armor (ok I know sappy, but true) encouraged me through and kept reframing my negative thoughts and sacrificing his better workout on Rollerblades to help me get through the moment, and you know what I did! I lived..barely lol. But despite all of this, the run was a HUGE success!! Guess what? NO FOOT PAIN = SCORE, finally phew, I think, I hope, I pray we may have finally found a winner with these shoes!

In real life, meaning non-running world, apparently my car is no longer being fixed. Insurance has decided not to fix it and just give us money to buy a new one, essentially.  In that regard, my brother-in-law taught me how to drive a stick, just to see if I would like it. Well, I did it...sort of..  We went to a parking lot to practice and I was doing great. Until this happened:

Brother in law: ok now lets pretend you are at traffic light, it is red. So this is what we do. Ok we are about to go green, you better go or people will be mad.
Me: Stall the car

Ok round 2,
Brother in law: take a breathe, lets try again, repeat scenario
Me: Stall the Car

Ok forget the traffic light just drive agian like normal
Me: Drive the car like normal.

Brother in law: Ok one more time, traffic light scenario
Me: Stall the Car in between fits of laughter
Repeat another two times ;)

Guess I am not made to perform well under pressure. Who knows how I managed to pass 2 bar exams.  Anyway I know, not a lot of pictures but I am working on it - how do you like the change in blog design, it is a work in progress please be kind to me while I work on the redesign! Also I need to get up a Dance Party Video at the request of many :)

Dance Party

Now I consider it a little ironic that I had a whole post on how nerve racking it is for me to bare it all on the elliptical and yet my other elliptical habits are really the ones to take note of.  It is those habits that people would be more apt to stop and stare at it, if you ask me.

The other day, Hungry Runner Girl posted her tips on how to keep entertained on the elliptical because it is by far the most boring of boring endeavors and while her ideas are stellar, it is not what I do most of the time (although I did use a few of them the other day, thanks lady!).  Instead, most of the time, on the elliptical I choose to have my own little dance party. Yup, you heard me, a dance party! With who you ask? Well, with me, who else of course? Oh yea, my iPod shuffle as well, can't forget that guy (although I sometimes do and he tumbles through the wash!).  And what are the results: I pass the time, have a blast, and the minutes fly by...well almost..seriously I am not a miracle worker

So what does a dance party on the elliptical entail?  Well, it is very simple to have your own dance party on the dreaded but very useful cross trainer, just follow these steps:

1) Get on the elliptical
2) Turn on your music - up high and drown out everything else.  I personally prefer a number of songs but my favorite dance party elliptical moves come from Gallaway Girl, Put Your Heads up in the Air, DJ got us falling in love again and  hmm pretty much anything else that it is easy to think up silly motions to
3) and finally pretty much just go to it and think up ridiculous hand movements.  I am serious - Put Your Heads up in the Air is pretty easy because well put your heads in the air...I am no great dancer as you can tell...

So yes, I am publicly admitting that I tend to make various weird hand motions throughout my workout on the elliptical.  But hey, it really pumps me and keeps me moving.  I really actually push harder and go faster while doing this, but I would say I do get the occasional stare (more so then with wearing a sports bra).  But to these stares, I say bring them on!  I really enjoy rocking out on the elliptical and getting an awesome sweaty workout in.   So what the hell? It IS MY workout, right? I pay good money to rock out on the elliptical.

Have any of your rocked out on the elliptical or am I the only dork?  Any good songs to choose from? 

Well, in shoe news, still not so good, the massive amounts of shoes I bought last weekend, I returned Tuesday :( I really wanted them to work, but no go.  Apparently, the heel cup of the shoe was no good for me.  And the shoes I bought on Tuesday, Brooks Glycerins, which seem great, I am still getting pain in the heel from and of course now I can't tell if that is pain from the shoes or residual from the previous shoes...and so my shoe saga continues :(

On one last note, I am trying to do a lot of beautification updates to the blog so sorry for wacky changes here and there, but I did finally figure out how to get the Twitter Button going, so please do follow me :)

Here's to a rainy Friday and a hopefully sunnier weekend!!