Art Skills

Last night I went to Wine and Design's Media Night.  I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I ended up having a great time.  Wine and Design is a franchise based in North Carolina that provides painting classes for individuals and parties.  There's also wine involved.  In my recent experience, it's a good combination.


Last night I arrived at Wine and Design and got to hang out with the girls that opened the Charlotte location.  Not only are these girls beautiful and smart women, but they are also great people who are so excited about their move to Charlotte from Raleigh.  After hanging out for a bit and starting on some wine, I put on my smock and prepared my creative juices for the master piece I was about to create.


The instructor was super cute.  She talked us threw our painting.  First, she showed us an example of our finished product.  Then we started through a step-by-step process that lasted about two and a half hours.  We started with a pre-drawn canvas.  Then we slowly added each layer and dimension from there.  It was so exciting to learn about the painting process.  


I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Wine and Design.  I plan on returning for another painting soon!

Action shot provided by @winedesignclt

(I was not paid to write this blog.)

Week 1

After running 9 miles twice so far this week, I'm starting to feel stronger and more confident that I can finish this thing.  My lung strength is no longer an issue.  For a while, I was struggling to breath in the last few miles.  Now I'm keeping a consistent breathing pattern which allows me to push myself to finish the route with stamina.  My previous training is definitely paying off.


All through my training process, I've been running with my dog Phoebe.  Since she was a puppy I've been slowly training her to run distance.  She's a very happy and high-energy dog, so she really makes a great running buddy.  This past run Phoebe struggled.  I kept trying to encourage her by using my "Phoebe voice" and clapping my hands to keep her attention.  


I'm concerned that even though she's physically capable of running the distance with me, mentally she may not be ready.  She's still young.  She gets distracted by everything.  It's hard to explain to a dog how to push through a tough mile or how to beat the hills.  Running is just as much a mental sport as it is physical.  I'm nervous she may not be mature enough yet for this.  I definitely don't want to force her into something she can't handle.  


Another issue I'm running into during my training is low blood sugar.  Since I've been running so much, I've been consuming more calories, especially carbs, so I'll have enough energy to burn.  There's nothing worse than running a long distance when your hungry.  It starts a crazy downward cycle that's very hard to overcome.  Therefore, I always make sure I eat a large meal a few hours before my run. 


Even though I'm doing my best to keep my body fed, once I start running 9+ miles my body burns a lot of calories.  I've used some tools in the past to measure the amount of calories I burn on my runs.  I average about 100 calories per mile.  That means I burned 900 calories on my run yesterday.  That's a lot of energy I need to keep stored up.  I'm finding that burning 600-700 calories at a time is not an issue for me.  Anything higher than that starts to take a tole. 


The thing about low blood sugar is you don't know it's low until it's too late.  My grandfather was a diabetic.  I watched him suffer through low blood sugar levels.  I never understood why he'd feel so miserable when that happened.  One minute he'd be sitting on the couch and the next he'd be pale and vomiting.  It blew my mind.  I'm now understanding this.  Of course, my low blood sugar still doesn't even touch a diabetic's.  I really feel for those people that live with that terrible disease.


After my runs I typically feel slightly fatigued but over all pretty good.  I try to slowly cool down by walking a bit.  Then I get in my car to drive home.  Once I get in the car, I start to feel the energy being drained out of me.  It's a very sudden and terrible process.  I've been concerned at times that I won't make it home.  


After putting myself through this torture on numerous occasions I finally found the cure: Gatorade.  In high school and college I was never a big fan of the high calorie drink.  I always got so peeved when I saw someone jog a half mile and then chug a large sports drink.  That just seemed ridiculous and over-kill to me.  After running for 75 minutes at a medium-fast pace, I'm all for Gatorade.  That's when it makes since.  


If I immediately drink half a Gatorade after my run, I don't have the sudden drop.  It gives me just enough sugar to boost me to my next meal.  If I don't eat within 30 minutes of the Gatorade though, things start going south again.  The Gatorade is just a temporary fix.  Complex carbs are really the best thing I could consume.


So week 1 is now complete.  I'm still learning a lot as I go.  Hopefully this journey will not only help me accomplish a bucket list goal, but will also help build confidence and character.  Three more weeks to go!  Wish me luck.

Half Training

For the next month, I'll be training for my first half marathon.  I've done many 5k and 10k races over the years, but I've always shied away from anything more extensive.  This is quite silly too because I always have a much higher success rate on races that are a longer distance.


In high school I ran cross country and played softball.  I sucked at cross country, pain and simple.  The only reason I did it was to keep in shape for softball season.  I had little motivation to excel at the sport.  It's a real shame too.  I haven't picked up a glove or a bat in years, but here I am now running almost every day.  


Once I went to college I began running a lot in fear of the infamous "freshman 15."  For those unfamiliar with this phrase, its widely known that the majority of freshman gain an average of 15 lbs that first year of college.  I was not going to be one of these unfortunate fatties.  In fact, I went overboard and actually lost 10 lbs.  Once I went home and weighed myself however, I started eating more and continued moderate exercise.


I learned from experience how to correctly train myself to eat right and stay in shape.  Now I feel that I have enough knowledge after all the trial and error to attempt something bigger.  That's why I'm working toward a 13.1 mile race.  


I have exactly a month left to train.  Lately, I've been running about 7-8 miles about 5-6 times a week.  That's been going well, but I feel like I'm not getting enough rest and recovery time for my body.  I'd like to increase my distance a bit too.  


Now I'm going to try 9 miles about 3 times a week, then increase this by a mile each week leading up to the race.  This week I'll do 9, next week I'll do 10, all the way to race week when I'll attempt 13.  I'm really hoping this strategy works out.


I'll keep you guys posted on my training and let you know what's working and what isn't.  Wish me luck!

Go Gamecocks. That is all.

Get the Scissors

I go through these phases in my life about once a year.  I look over what I've been doing and who I've been hanging out with.  Then I decide what is productive and good.  The rest I metaphorically cut out of my life.  I don't plan this annual sweep, but it consistently happens.  I guess it's kind of like spring cleaning.  Sometimes I have to get rid of clutter and junk that has been building up and holding me back.


I feel this cutting coming soon.  I've noticed I've become more observant, critical, cynical and open minded all at the same time.  I've looked over what I've accomplished and the areas I've failed. 


In the past year I got a dog, finished college, bought a condo, started my first full-time job, learned how to use social media to brand myself, a company and an alumni group, got a roommate, dated boys, broke up with boys, enjoyed hanging with my girls, encountered melodrama, and the list goes on.


What should I count as failures, and what should I count as necessary for growth?  What may seem to be a negative thing on the surface, may have encouraged me to build character and confidence.  Then on the other end, what may appear to be good and healthy, may be keeping me stuck in a stagnant place.


If you see me making changes and upgrades in the next few weeks, now you know why.  I feel a changing coming on.  I'm going to take it and run with it.  Only God knows where I'll end up, and I'm okay with that.