Thank you all so much for your words of encouragement on my last post. I really appreciate all of the support that you give me when I need it. My grandmother is in the hospital undergoing some tests, and so your prayers are still needed!

Amazingly enough, I survived the day even though we didn’t close on our house. I think I’ll be able to make it to tomorrow. One of the main reasons I am anxious to get in is because I need to do some laundry and I want to do it in my new washer and dryer. So if this closing is postponed any longer, I’m going to have to start recycling my socks.

Yea, it was postponed one day…I’m so dramatic.

Anyhow I wanted to talk about the Unstuff This Turkey challenge.

I was really pleased with the results. I had mentioned before that by cutting out the excess sugar and adding more greens gave me so much energy. I think I may have lost a pound or two as well, but that’s really not what the challenge was about. Obviously my challenge stopped come Thanksgiving, but I’m happy to report that I’m about to embark on…

Unstuff This Turkey Part 2

Now, I have to add that lately I am kind of sick of blogs and articles all about “how to avoid the holiday weight gain” and “tricks to sticking to your diet this Christmas”. This challenge is not like that.

This challenge is a challenge to myself to get rid of bad habits and instill new, healthy ones. So if I’m at a party, I’m not really going to be thinking that I should be eating from the veggie platter instead of the dessert table. Life’s too short to pass up the second helping of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving Day. Nope, this challenge is more to make the best out of every moment we have. Eating less sugar and more fresh produce makes me feel so much better, but enjoying good (albeit “unhealthy”) food with family and friends makes me feel good too. And managing both in moderation makes me feel the best.

I would also like to add that part 2 of this challenge does not include any kind of exercise goals. Since Dave and I are starting to move tomorrow, my time for running and the occasional trainer ride will be very, very limited. This challenge is going to be more about adjusting to a few weeks of little running and still feeling good about myself. I shouldn’t ever feel guilty when life events, like buying and moving into a house, take precedence over running. Again, I need to make the best out of this moment!

So, who’s with me to make this holiday the best, healthiest, and most fun holiday season yet?

If you’ve been reading Abby Normally for awhile, I would hope that you think that I’m a pretty positive person. Well, I try to keep my blog that way, at least. But I don’t want anyone to ever think that my life is all rainbows and daisies, and I try to keep it real. I have no problem discussing all of my mistakes and failures, but I don’t like to complain about daily crap that can bring me down. Well…

Today is nothing less than discouraging. And please pardon me while I unload on you guys.

• My closing as been pushed back until Wednesday. I know it’s only one day, but it’s something that Dave and I have been looking forward to Tuesday the 30th for a while. Twenty-four hours will seem like an eternity.
• I think I’m finally succumbing to the sickness that has been waiting for me at my doorstep since October. Sore throat, headache, little appetite, tiredness. Blerg.
• I had an amazing run last night (5 miles with avg. pace of 8:54) but today my knee is bothering me. It feels almost exactly like the patellar tendonitis I had two years ago. Rock on.
• Today my Grammy has been admitted to the hospital today for some issues with her heart. I don’t think I ever remember a time my Grammy was in the hospital. Thankfully my mom called with some more positive news about it, but it’s still hard to hear that she’s in there.

So, there you have it. I was going to write about Unstuff This Turkey part 2, but I would rather just unload my heart.

Now here I am, sitting on the couch with a hot cup of Emergen-C, in my slipper socks (compliments of Grammy-she likes to keep her family warm) and about to put on a Christmas movie (probably Christmas with the Kranks because Nora Krank reminds me of my mom).

And I’m reminding myself constantly of Psalm 100.

“For the LORD is good;
   His steadfast love endures forever,
   and His faithfulness to all generations.”

There’s no greater comfort than that.

What things do you find comfort in?

Argue all you want, but it’s really true.

Spending long weekends (or anytime, really) with my family reminds me how blessed I am to have them in my life.

It’s times like these when I am so thankful for grandparents who love and fear God and have made Him the center of their lives.

Last Thanksgiving, my Grammy and Pappy recited Psalm 100 before we ate, and this year my dad asked them to do the same.

I wish that I could describe for you the feeling I had as I sat next to my Pappy, holding his hand, watching his closed eyes he recited the passage. There was such joy and contentment on his face that those same emotions were overflowing from my heart.

Both of my grandparents on my mom’s side are 80 years old and driven by a passion to serve God and serve others. I feel that their age is a blessing from God for their devotion to him. Not only are they active and involved in their grandchildren’s lives, but they also are enjoying their first great-grandchild, too. How amazing is that?!

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!

Know that the LORD, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and we are His
we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving,
   and His courts with praise!
   Give thanks to Him; bless His name!

For the LORD is good;
   His steadfast love endures forever,
   and His faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 100
*****

{Little Brother Jonathan, Grammy, Cousin Janelle, Aunt Missy, Mom, Dad, Pappy, Dave, me}

{Nephew Levi!!}

 
{Mom and her cousin, Dee!}

 
{Janelle and Dave}

{Jonathan performing at Light Up Night}
 

{Big Bro Adam at Light Up Night}

{Another picture of Levi because he’s just so cute!!}

Did you get to spend Thanksgiving with family or friends?

Heya guys! I am excited for this guest post today. It is from my good friend, and college roommate, Amanda! Amanda has run the Philly half marathon the past two years and had two very different experiences with it. She has graciously agreed to write about what she has learned from running and racing. I can definitely relate to it, and I am sure most runners out there can… take it away, Amandaaaaa!

*****

I have never been a runner. But if you don’t believe me, ask Abby. I remember telling her she was crazy when she started running when we were in college. I couldn’t bring myself to run through the hills of Pittsburgh. I’d rather spend my time trying to get Abby not to run – i.e. celebrating Steelers Super Bowl Victories, falling out of chairs in our living room, celebrating 21^st birthdays, or painting the infamous Bates Street apartment orange. (I know she’s complained to all of you about the color of our living room in college. Btw…I picked out that color.)

But then I moved to Philadelphia to start grad school in September 2008. All of my friends here in Philly were big runners, so I decided to take a chance and start running too, and it’s probably the best thing I’ve ever done. I told Abby right away, and I remember her saying, “We’ll have to run a half marathon together soon!” I rolled my eyes and ignored this comment as if she didn’t even say it.

It’s funny how your friends really know what you’re capable of.

Almost exactly 1 year after I started running, I signed up to do the Philadelphia Half Marathon. I was running 4 times per week and felt I could really do it. I have to admit though, my intentions for signing up were completely wrong. Rather than doing it for myself, I did it to impress my boyfriend, whom I had met 6 weeks before I registered for the race. He said he was going to do it, so I thought to myself, “If he, who never runs, can do it, then I can certainly do it.” So, I started a 12-week training schedule and pushed my body further than I thought it would ever go.

During training, I usually ran 3 3-5 mile runs per week and 1 long one. The furthest I ran was about 10 miles before the half marathon. I went through some pains over those weeks, but I felt like I was really ready to do 13.1.

Then came the race day: November 22, 2009. I was really nervous because I wanted Dan (who, by the way, decided to not sign up!) to be impressed with me. Both his family and my family came down to see his brother-in-law, Dave, and me run which increased my nerves even more. I still felt like there was something more I could have done to prepare, even though I had done everything and more that my training schedule had told me to do.

I ran the entire thing, which was a major goal for me. I didn’t stop once. I would run through water stations, grab a cup, and attempt to drink while I kept running, which wasn’t very effective since the water/Gatorade would just spill right out of the cup. Therefore, I wasn’t hydrating throughout the race. I also got really stressed and frustrated my iPod playlist would run out, so I was constantly trying to find something to listen to.

But I did finish (2:31:33). I was so proud of myself for doing it but was disappointed with my time and exhausted as I crossed the finish line. My finish line picture shows a person who is just about to collapse, but I put on a good face for Dan, my family, and Dan’s family. Dave finished the Philly marathon as well!

Despite my big smile in this picture, I was seriously sick and hurting. I was so sick all afternoon and evening from dehydration. In addition, because I didn’t listen to my body during the run as it yelled at me to slow down, I had injured my IT Band. (Notice in the picture above that I’m putting to weight on my left foot.) I could barely walk from my apartment to my classes for 3 weeks. And because of that injury, I barely ran for the next few months. I was so afraid of hurting myself again.

But then I realized….maybe I got injured because I wasn’t going about this the right way. While I was training, I forced myself to run on days when I was sick or when my body was about to give up or when I was completely stressed about school. I just felt like I had to do this. I just couldn’t fail. This was completely the wrong way to go about it.

Over the summer, I really started to refocus my running. I didn’t push myself too hard and only went out for a run only when I felt like running. I didn’t force myself to do anything or any distance I didn’t want to do.

By mid-September, I had decided that I wanted to run the Philly Half Marathon again….not for Dan, but for myself. Just because it was something I wanted to do. I was signing up later than I did in 2009, but I felt better about doing it! I can’t even explain it. The first person I told was Abby, who gave me a training schedule for the 9 weeks leading up to the race. While still running 3 shorter runs and 1 long run per week, I also did a yoga session each week.

While I really tried to keep to her little and extremely organized schedule, there were times I just didn’t want to run. So, I didn’t. I didn’t want to force myself to run 5 miles after work when my mind and body just weren’t up to it. I didn’t want a repeat of last year.

The Monday morning before the race, I was feeling great. I was getting really excited that the half marathon was only 6 days away. And if you’ve ever been to Philly for the marathon, you know how excited the city gets for it. EVERYTHING is about the race, and it’s hard to ignore all the excitement when I live in Center City about 3 blocks from Independence Hall.

However, the worst happened…I fell walking to work and sprained my lower back. I was crushed. The pain would cause my right hip to ache so much that it hurt to both just sit and walk. Despite the injury, I still really wanted to do the race. I was icing it every night and constantly stretching to make sure I would be comfortable on Sunday and could make it through the 13.1.

Race Day: November 21, 2010. Standing in my corral, I wasn’t nervous at all. I was actually really excited!! I couldn’t wait to get to the starting line and be on my way! I didn’t care about who saw me race and what they thought about my form, time, outfit, whatever.

This time around, I walked through each water station rather than running. And when my body started to hurt, especially my right lower back/hip/leg from my fall, I walked. My confidence actually grew throughout the race because I realized that I had a better understand of what my body could and couldn’t do. For instance, when we reached Fairmount Park, I knew that my hip couldn’t take the steep incline of the hills, so I power walked them rather than hurting myself by running them. I also decided to listen to a book (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) on my iPod rather than music, so I never had to fiddle around with my iPod once the race started.

I crossed the finish line in a much better mood than last year. I had my arms up in triumph, had a huge smile on my face, and cheered so loudly. I was so proud of myself! It’s actually really difficult to put into words how I felt. While my time was a little slower than 2009 (2:38:24), I was happy with my result. I wasn’t sick after the race, plus I wasn’t hurting at all that day or the next.

It has always been a very difficult thing for me to admit my faults and when I’m doing something wrong. But realizing my mistakes in 2009, including the reasons for which I was running, has completely made a difference for me in 2010. For me it’s not about time, distance, having the best gear, or making sure everyone sees my accomplishment; it’s about feeling content with what I do, the feeling of accomplishment in myself, and discovering better, more effective ways to do something I love.

PS…I must have made some impression on Dan since he’s no longer my boyfriend…he’s my FIANCÉ!!!! AND he ran the 2010 Philly Half Marathon! (But I doubt these decisions were based on my 2009 half)

*****

Thanks, Amanda!!

What about you guys? Have you ever run or compete for someone other than yourself? Did you find that it made you a better runner or not?

…you would think I would have motivation to run after all that I ate yesterday.

Yet I don’t.

I did, however, put on my running clothes just in case the desire to go pound the 34-degree pavement hits me sometime this afternoon.

Until then, my family has to put up with a post-Thanksgiving Abby lounging around in running tights.

In the meantime my wonderful cousin Janelle and I are watching a Taylor Swift special on Hulu. Because she’s our guilty pleasure…and no one else will watch it with us.

And drinking hot water…you know, to be hydrated for that run that I might take…

How many of you braved the Black Friday crowds this morning? Dave and my little brother Jonathan were up before 4:30 to hit up Best Buy. I went out with my mom, cousin, sister-in-law and nephew to Kohls and got stuff for the bathroom IN MY NEW HOUSE. We have TWO bathrooms now, so I had to be prepared come Tuesday when we close!

I also stopped in at Dick’s to stock up on Clif Shots. I felt completely out of place with all of these parents and their piles and piles of athletic and hunting gear and their organized coupon folders. I broke the bank with those Clif Shots, let me tell ya!

For those of you in the Hollidaysburg/Altoona area, my brothers are playing at Hollidaysburg Light Up Night in the Diamond (Allegheny Street). 5:15 pm TONIGHT! Don’t miss it, yo!

Oh and dress warmly… I’m all prepared. You see, even if I don’t run, these running tights will be under my jeans fo’ sho’.

So tell me, how many people did you tackle today to do some Christmas Shopping today?

I really don’t like Black Friday shopping. Too much bother! I’d rather pay full price than deal with the masses. My husband is the opposite. That’s maybe why I married him…so he can just handle that for me.