June 2012
1 post
April 2012
3 posts
March 2012
1 post
November 2011
1 post
August 2011
4 posts
Courage
“Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.” -Maya Angelou
Fundraising update and IT band-aid →
firstgiving.com
FUNDRAISING UPDATE!
We exceeded my initial goal by raising $635! A reminder that there’s just over a month left for me to raise money for the International Rett Syndrome Foundation in honor of my second-cousin and goddaughter, Melaina. Let’s see if we can double that and then some by October 2nd to raise $1500! Groundbreaking research has already found that some of the symptoms can be reversed in mice (woohoo, science!), so the funds are critical to keep the research going. Funds also go directly to the care of the people affected by Rett, so every penny goes towards a good cause :)
p.s. I had to set up a new donation page b/c the first one expired it’s accepting of donations.
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TRAINING UPDATE!
This past week, I ran a lot more than I have been in the previous weeks…which was basically following the training plan (I survived a 16-mile long run! My longest to date!) But since I haven’t been consistent that means I overdid it. Apparently, my tried and true method of procrastination, followed by intense, binge-like activity does not translate well to running. Doh!
I noticed on my last two runs this week that I was feeling stiffness and pain in the IT band area.
The good ol’ Internet pointed me towards many resources on Iltiotibial (IT) Band Syndrome. This website from a podiatrist that writes for Runner’s World magazine was comprehensive and easy to understand. It seems that one of the major contributors to this problem are weak hip abductor muscles (aka gluteus medius).
When weak, the IT band basically overcompensates to provide hip stability. The two times I’ve tried physical therapy, I’ve been told that I had weak hips. So, I guess I really do have to do those exercises, huh? Here’s a link to the Livestrong website with instructions for some easy exercises like the clamshell, which is my personal favorite because while I’m doing it, I like to imagine that I’m Olivia Newton-John in the Physical music video. (Warning: this video isn’t exactly NSFW, but it’ll probably be really awkward if someone catches you watching it).
July 2011
6 posts
“When you have the enthusiasm and the passion, you end up figuring how to excel.”
—Deena Kastor
I am about to go to the Bulldog happy hour by myself to think about this fucking manuscript after working on it all day at the coffee shop. Hoping that a drink will melt the braincicles.
Donate your support to the International Rett Syndrome Foundation! →
firstgiving.com
I finally got a fundraising page set up through FirstGiving.com! Like I mentioned in my first post, I’m running the Twin Cities Marathon on October 2nd and am asking friends and family for their support by pledging a financial contribution that will benefit the IRSF. You can pledge $1 per mile of the marathon (26.3) or any amount that you can comfortably manage - every dollar counts! Right now, my goal is to raise $500 by October - just less than 20 people / $26 pledge.
Your support - financial and moral - is much appreciated! Keep watching the blog for more updates on the marathon training and fundraising.
“Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them-a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.”
—Muhammad Ali (via okeefew)
June 2011
7 posts
Run, Steph, Run!: Run, Steph, Run! Blog, Steph, Blog! →
runstephrun.tumblr.com
Hi Guys,
I started another Tumblr! This time, I’m blogging about all the things running related, particularly as a way to keep myself accountable. Why do I need extra accountability? Well, that’s because I decided to sign up for the Twin Cities Marathon on Saturday, October 2nd (a day before I…
“
In their studies, University of Chicago psychologists Minjung Koo and Ayelet Fishbach examined how people pursuing goals were affected by focusing on either how far they had already come (to-date thinking) or what was left to be accomplished (to-go thinking). People routinely use both kinds of thinking to motivate themselves. A marathon runner may choose to think about the miles already traveled or the ones that lie ahead. A dieter who wants to lose 30 pounds may try to fight temptation by reminding themselves of the 20 pounds already lost, or the 10 left to go.
Intuitively, both approaches have their appeal. But too much to-date thinking, focusing on what you’ve accomplished so far, will actually undermine your motivation to finish rather than sustain it.
Koo and Fishbach’s studies consistently show that when we are pursuing a goal and consider how far we’ve already come, we feel a premature sense of accomplishment and begin to slack off….
” —How to Become a Great Finisher - Heidi Grant Halvorson - Harvard Business Review (via swirlspice)
“Awkward.”
—Reading this in the comments of my papers makes me cringe :/
