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| (Source) |
I listened to this podcast on one of my early morning walks with Mack, and it held my attention the entire time. And I think I've mentioned before that I'm not much of a podcast person. But this one focused on a topic that is near and dear to me: running, and it also focused on another topic that maybe isn't so easy to talk about: eating disorders and disordered eating. While I've never had an official eating disorder, I've definitely had my fair share of food and exercise struggles. Who hasn't, right? In this podcast, a couple of Runner's World employees, as well as a former NCAA All-American runner at Michigan State sit down and open up about their own personal experiences with disordered eating, as well as its prevalence within the sport. It's something I struggle with every single day -- I am such an active person, running and walking many miles every single day. And I know enough to know that if I want to be the best runner that I can be, I have to fuel my body. The fear of weight gain is always there, but ultimately my desire to reach my highest potential is greater. This is a fantastic listen for ANY athlete who may struggle with this same sort of issue.
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| Hilly 10K followed by Blue Bell ice cream |
A poster for this book caught my eye while leaving the University of Washington bookstore over spring break, so I made a mental note to check it out once I got back to where I was staying and could put a little bit of juice back into my phone. This book is small, but it's full of meaningful messages. The author is an obituary writer in a small town in Alaska, which, after reading this book, I find to be a super interesting job. We know how easy it is to harp on the negatives -- the news is full of it, and sometimes life just doesn't quite go our way. I know I'm one to complain a little bit too often at times, but this book stopped me in my tracks. We are all writing our obituaries every single day, and we have the chance to change our story and find the good in anything that may be thrown our way. A quick, uplifting, wisdom-filled read that leaves you feeling as bright as the book's cover.
Thirteen Reasons Why -- Jay Asher
Because I'm around high schoolers every single day of my life, this show has been all I've heard about for the past week or so. I mean, my students are obsessed with this Netflix original series. And while I can't vouch for the television series, I will talk about the book. I actually read it for the first time when I was in high school, and I can honestly remember not really loving it as much as I did the second time around. I think I didn't get as much out of it when I was a high school student because, as ashamed as I am to admit the fact that I was stuck inside my own little bubble of happiness, I didn't actually think that was something that could happen where I lived. Which is silly and naive, but you better believe I found it to be incredibly powerful as a high school teacher. While I have no doubt that the show is a little bit cheesy, I think it's the storyline that really packs the punch. What may seem harmless and funny to you may actually have a huge - negative - impact on another person. And those things can pile up. Unfortunately these feelings and emotions that Hannah Baker, the main character in the book and show, are all too real to so many teenagers, and it's so important to step back and think about the impact -- either positive or negative -- your words or actions may have.
Jordan Hasay
This girl is my new hero. She is a 25-year-old first time marathon runner who was the third (first American) female finisher at the 2017 Boston Marathon with a time of 2:23. I mean, WHAT! That is absolutely unreal to me, and after doing a little bit of stalking (okay, a solid hour after school on Wednesday -- I have no shame here), she seems like the most humble, hard-working, down-to-earth, speed demon of a young lady who was made to run the marathon. Not even three weeks before Boston, she raced her way to a 1:07 half marathon finish in Prague, and she did all of this just five months after losing her mother unexpectedly. She gave a very emotional post-race interview, and I am excited to watch her running career continue to take off.
Uh Oh -- Junior Doctor
If you are not familiar with the Discover Weekly playlist on Spotify, go make yourself familiar with it. Spotify is one of the best investments I have made (okay, maybe that my parents make but that's because I signed up for it when I was still on their paycheck, shhh), and while the weekly playlist can either be hit or miss, occasionally I find a song that I just jam to on repeat. It doesn't matter if I'm on the way to school, doing my weekly meal prep, cleaning, or running, I can listen to it over and over without getting sick of it. This is one of those songs. It's just so incredibly catchy, and I find myself cranking the volume every time this one comes up on shuffle. Or every time I put it on repeat. But I digress. It's upbeat, energetic, and has that cheesy "happy first love vibe" to it. It's definitely not a new song, but I find some of my favorite music discoveries are actually rediscoveries.
Momentum Motivate Wraps
If you haven't noticed by now, I am such a sucker for cheesy quotes. I know many will roll their eyes, but I take many of them to heart. So, when I saw on my Instagram explore page (it's getting semi-creepy how much social media knows us) an avid runner showing off one of these bracelets featuring one of my favorite quotes, I thought it was fate when I saw it at my local Fleet Feet just a few weeks later. It feels just like a ponytail holder, but it gives me that little bit of added motivation when I look down and see it during a run. This is one of my go-to in-my-head quotes these days, as I have set my sights on the 2019 Boston Marathon. And half the battle is believing that I can do it. These wraps are made for active people (therefore, they can handle sweat), and they come in many colors and sayings. Guarantee you'll find one that fits your personality and mindset.
And with that, I'm off to school for what will hopefully be a fantastic Friday. Have a great one!
Because I'm around high schoolers every single day of my life, this show has been all I've heard about for the past week or so. I mean, my students are obsessed with this Netflix original series. And while I can't vouch for the television series, I will talk about the book. I actually read it for the first time when I was in high school, and I can honestly remember not really loving it as much as I did the second time around. I think I didn't get as much out of it when I was a high school student because, as ashamed as I am to admit the fact that I was stuck inside my own little bubble of happiness, I didn't actually think that was something that could happen where I lived. Which is silly and naive, but you better believe I found it to be incredibly powerful as a high school teacher. While I have no doubt that the show is a little bit cheesy, I think it's the storyline that really packs the punch. What may seem harmless and funny to you may actually have a huge - negative - impact on another person. And those things can pile up. Unfortunately these feelings and emotions that Hannah Baker, the main character in the book and show, are all too real to so many teenagers, and it's so important to step back and think about the impact -- either positive or negative -- your words or actions may have.
 |
| (Source) |
This girl is my new hero. She is a 25-year-old first time marathon runner who was the third (first American) female finisher at the 2017 Boston Marathon with a time of 2:23. I mean, WHAT! That is absolutely unreal to me, and after doing a little bit of stalking (okay, a solid hour after school on Wednesday -- I have no shame here), she seems like the most humble, hard-working, down-to-earth, speed demon of a young lady who was made to run the marathon. Not even three weeks before Boston, she raced her way to a 1:07 half marathon finish in Prague, and she did all of this just five months after losing her mother unexpectedly. She gave a very emotional post-race interview, and I am excited to watch her running career continue to take off.
 |
| (Source) |
If you are not familiar with the Discover Weekly playlist on Spotify, go make yourself familiar with it. Spotify is one of the best investments I have made (okay, maybe that my parents make but that's because I signed up for it when I was still on their paycheck, shhh), and while the weekly playlist can either be hit or miss, occasionally I find a song that I just jam to on repeat. It doesn't matter if I'm on the way to school, doing my weekly meal prep, cleaning, or running, I can listen to it over and over without getting sick of it. This is one of those songs. It's just so incredibly catchy, and I find myself cranking the volume every time this one comes up on shuffle. Or every time I put it on repeat. But I digress. It's upbeat, energetic, and has that cheesy "happy first love vibe" to it. It's definitely not a new song, but I find some of my favorite music discoveries are actually rediscoveries.
Momentum Motivate Wraps
If you haven't noticed by now, I am such a sucker for cheesy quotes. I know many will roll their eyes, but I take many of them to heart. So, when I saw on my Instagram explore page (it's getting semi-creepy how much social media knows us) an avid runner showing off one of these bracelets featuring one of my favorite quotes, I thought it was fate when I saw it at my local Fleet Feet just a few weeks later. It feels just like a ponytail holder, but it gives me that little bit of added motivation when I look down and see it during a run. This is one of my go-to in-my-head quotes these days, as I have set my sights on the 2019 Boston Marathon. And half the battle is believing that I can do it. These wraps are made for active people (therefore, they can handle sweat), and they come in many colors and sayings. Guarantee you'll find one that fits your personality and mindset.
And with that, I'm off to school for what will hopefully be a fantastic Friday. Have a great one!
