Run Jen Run: Weekly Roundup 3.12-3.18

Week 12 of 16

“I’m on the right track baby, I was born to be brave.”

So this week was… not great. Running was blah. Work was weird. Personal life went from high to low overnight. Then I turned 32.

Monday got a little crazy at work as another storm was coming, this time predicting 1-2 feet of snow starting through the night and continuing all day Tuesday. The decision was made around 10am on Monday to close all day Tuesday so we got to work rescheduling patients and clients. I had a good workout after work. Craig and Erin were both working so I thought I was on my own—until Kellen showed up! I brought clothes to run on the treadmill after but with Daylight Savings Time giving me an extra hour of daylight and the storm coming, I headed home and got in 3 miles outside. I would have pushed it to 4 miles but my workout kicked my butt and this was supposed to be a down week in training.

I slept in a little on Tuesday morning and enjoyed a cup of coffee before my power went out at 9am. I spent the rest of the day cleaning and taking breaks to play in the snow with Georgie. Very productive. I even boiled water on top of my wood stove for Ramen Noodles. It may have taken 45 minutes to see the first bubbles but I had a hot dinner!

The worst part about the storm was the lack of cell service. I was receiving text messages in waves but no iMessages. Data wasn’t working at all. I could make calls occasionally. I felt disconnected to the world. I had no clue when the snow was ending, no clue how my parents were and no clue if I would be working the next day!

I woke up Wednesday morning still without power. All 3 offices were also out. Staff was all told to stay home but be available to go in if the power is restored. It was a long day. I did as much cleaning as I could without the vacuum and washing machine the day before. My mom came by for a visit in the morning to bring me coffee (they got their power back the night before) and because I wasn’t receiving his texts, a friend stopped by to check on me and make sure I was plowed out—Side note: my neighbor came by with his bobcat the night before! THANK GOD.

Later that afternoon Craig picked me up and made me go to the gym with him. The power was still out but it was kind of fun working out in the dark. We made a quick stop at Burrito Bistro so I could bring home dinner and when I got home I bundled up for 4 miles. The roads were pretty clear but I stayed in the neighborhood just to be safe. Work got power back around 4pm but I wasn’t receiving any texts yet so I stayed home in the dark until my power came back on around 9pm.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Thursday morning I received a text about an hour into my workday that I was not expecting. I started to let someone back into my life and even started to become optimistic about a second chance but with one text, it was all over. I felt like I got punched in the stomach.

Friendships, relationships, racing—none of that will ever work out if you are only focused on what could go wrong. You have to be willing to take a chance. Be brave, take risks, love hard and run fast.

I am more mad at myself for how I handled that text message. I let it ruin the rest of the week. I had an awful run on Friday and it was my own damn fault. I didn’t eat enough. I wasn’t hydrating. And I totally lost focus.

Saturday’s long run through Cotuit was also a struggle. The sun was shining but it was COLD. I stopped a lot.

I scheduled a much needed massage for myself that afternoon and met my friend Allison for dinner at Inaho in Yarmouth Port. It was SO GOOD and I had a great time catching up!

Then there was Sunday… my BIRTHDAY! I turned 32 years old and took the day off from work. My plan was to get up and run but it was freezing so I stayed in bed until about 9am. Georgie and I lounged around for a bit before heading to my mom and dad’s house for brunch. If you didn’t know, brunch is my favorite meal. I love mimosas. We had French toast casserole, bacon, and fruit salad. We took a family walk. Georgie helped me open presents. We had cake! Georgie and I went home and finished up my mileage for the week. It was a good day!