tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67336368945749412452024-03-05T06:24:15.423-08:00Green Eyed RunnerThe daily insanity of a green eyed college student who began running after high school and never looked back! Loves marathons with Team in Training, and experimenting in the kitchen. Disneyland obsession. Gluten-free and still trying to figure it all out!Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12815485108401837743noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733636894574941245.post-42308504562861751912011-01-26T21:33:00.000-08:002011-01-26T21:33:56.403-08:00Moved!<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Follow me on Wordpress! Same name, same me. Same daily insanity.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.greeneyedrunner.wordpress.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">C'est la Vie</span></a></div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12815485108401837743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733636894574941245.post-46319535889970451032011-01-09T19:38:00.000-08:002011-01-09T19:41:40.093-08:00So, what about the bad days?<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; word-wrap: break-word;">Team in Training is without a doubt, the best thing I’ve ever done in my life. I’m a part of this amazing and supportive family. We sweat together, we wake up before the sun together, we have the same appreciation for spandex and Body Glide, and we can’t run by each other without congratulations and a cascade of “GO TEAM!” exclamations.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; word-wrap: break-word;">But we aren’t superhuman. Rockstars, yes. I’ll tell you right now that every member of TEAM is a rockstar and an amazing human being. But superhuman? Not in the slightest. We may laugh and love with each other, but we cry with each other too. Nothing about what we do is easy, but we’re constantly reminded of and inspired by those that suffer from blood cancers and would give anything to be able to wake up and run along the beach, plantar fasciitis, shinsplints, cramps, chafing and all. Glamorous, isn’t it? Totally.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; word-wrap: break-word;">But what about the bad days? When your body doesn’t cooperate? When you’re morale is dwindling and you don’t know how you’ll make your fundraising minimum? We have those days. Those sleepless nights. Saturday was one of those days. I had been sidelined with a horrendous shin splint for a month or so, and while I got quite good at Sun Salutes, this was NOT how my training was supposed to go. I spent four months sidelined, and was finally trying to claw my way back to my old self. So when I showed up at gorgey Moonlight Beach in Encinitas on Saturday, I was just hoping that with compression sleeves over kinesiology tape, I’d be able to run my heart out. But no such luck. After a mile and a half, I new there was no way I’d be able to continue: the shin pain was just too bad. I turned around and walked back, about as demoralized as it gets. There’s a sob story for you. See? We have bad days.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; word-wrap: break-word;">I sulked for quite a while, actually, and may still be sulking, but at the end of the day, no matter how much it wore us down, what we’re doing is bigger than our shins. We’re in this for those who consider shin splints a blessing in comparison to what they go through. For those who fight for their lives every single second and still have the ability to love. We do this for them.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; word-wrap: break-word;">So we do have bad days. They hurt, we cry, but each and every tear and ache is a blessing because we are fortunate to be healthy. We just have to see it through.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHiu9rdsf5u7pXCP5NWqOi6li4UuZGe4TLOokE9VGFqQr_J9guHBhB7lw7oWXaZBlp2NZa3d2pZb5cCZwgo4-vk1BlQ0rEzF-za06EA3_Y2Me8RIKzW0S5v86tTsH4Phv2MPRufg7_Oj8/s1600/DSC05354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHiu9rdsf5u7pXCP5NWqOi6li4UuZGe4TLOokE9VGFqQr_J9guHBhB7lw7oWXaZBlp2NZa3d2pZb5cCZwgo4-vk1BlQ0rEzF-za06EA3_Y2Me8RIKzW0S5v86tTsH4Phv2MPRufg7_Oj8/s320/DSC05354.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Chocolate Shop in the Pearl District of Portland. This is how I'm drowning my sorrows. That, and the vinyasa podcast I need to do.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; word-wrap: break-word;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; word-wrap: break-word;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; word-wrap: break-word;"><br />
</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12815485108401837743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733636894574941245.post-24529069127742829092011-01-05T20:35:00.000-08:002011-01-05T20:35:46.937-08:00Gluten Free...INTERNATIONALLY?<div style="text-align: center;">Just a quick post tonight-I want to start off the quarter with good study habits! If, like me, gluten is a major problem, traveling is a scary scary thing. Of course, there are obvious conventions: don't eat bread, pasta, pastries, etc. But what about the more subtle things? Barley malt? Wheat germ? The things that show up in sauces and soups and spreads, leaving you with headaches and stomachaches later? Like I said, scary. And that's just in English.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm applying to study in France next year, which as you can imagine, takes a LOT of preparation on the nutrition front alone! Also, asking une serveuse ou un serveur to rattle off the ingredient list, while I adjust to full-time French, is nerve-wracking and tedious, let alone potentially insulting the to restaurant! </div><div style="text-align: center;">But now...SOLUTION! <a href="http://www.celiactravel.com/index.html">Here</a> is an amazing site dedicated to gluten-free travel, with free cards that explain your digestive system both politely and concisely! The cards are free, but a donation would be appreciated. I'm a poor college student, so I went with the second option and linked them! Miracles :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyUxEamwVe-VZ91jc-XSP0_7cC0yw4uEhhfARMv4GZ-9apZkSxWfH0Lx8GPjsDAH0NFTHervLaGNALX9w_NhCmOYHbFT5qHyJKljoahOngCf8BHtib4qM9jNKliPaRNJTT0U_wt7NDqgs/s1600/DSC04369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyUxEamwVe-VZ91jc-XSP0_7cC0yw4uEhhfARMv4GZ-9apZkSxWfH0Lx8GPjsDAH0NFTHervLaGNALX9w_NhCmOYHbFT5qHyJKljoahOngCf8BHtib4qM9jNKliPaRNJTT0U_wt7NDqgs/s320/DSC04369.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Gorgey, no? Hello, seventeen year old Courtney. This was three years ago, after high school graduation. Yes, I'm twenty. Shhhh.</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12815485108401837743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733636894574941245.post-38725107799066012782010-12-30T21:32:00.000-08:002010-12-30T21:39:02.911-08:00Jab, Cross, Uppercut, Hook!<div style="text-align: center;">Awesome new exercise trend: PILOXING! Strength of pilates, with boxing moves. I jabbed, crossed, hooked, and used weights to my heart's content tonight! While I'm home, my mom got be a student package membership to her yoga studio, which is $30 for a month of unlimited classes. Drop-ins are $7, but if you go to five of them, the package is paid off anyway. I've been going constantly to show my mom how appreciative I am, oh & I'm totally in love. I've been going to body sculpt, different yoga classes, and decided to try the piloxing class. I'm hooked! Too bad I leave for school on Sunday, I wish I could stay with that studio year round!</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">So what is piloxing? A lot of boxing moves, but the instructor, Nick, also focused on form. He reminded us constantly to drop our shoulders, tuck our tailbones, and engage our core muscles. At the end, he used pilates moves with short rounds of extended child's pose. It was incredible. The music all had a great beat, and a lot of it was Michael Jackson! Sweet deal. I'd definitely recommend it!</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">After piloxing, I stayed for the yoga class, which is the only class I've taken on Thursdays over winter break. Piloxing definitely didn't kill me-it was actually something I felt really strong in. After month 1 of Insanity, I felt like a lot of the moves were the same. Yoga, however, was extremely challenging. My arms were quite fatigued, so I found myself dropping into child's pose quite a lot. Downward facing dog just wouldn't hold for a long time, and neither would any of the warrior poses, but I'm glad I went.</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Yoga was definitely a lesson in listening to my body. I've been bad at this over the years, pushing and pushing and pushing and hating the idea of rest or not going all out. Post-injury, though, I've started listening to what my body wants and needs-if it's exhausted, I'll go easy on it. If I need to modify something, or take a rest, I'll do it. Tonight I had to do a lot of that, and it wasn't as horrible as I used to think it was. I'm learning, slowly but surely!</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">And because no post would be complete without one of these:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTY5EXXTsbHP-7Wdowl0IZVtR83VOhzgKusODG0Omhm4HqsGo8_2bssoDirMSJeYU-n9KZvpt6O19wCVcqbQUdupQ0U5AfRalkmdVkM16m0mgqiHvgCKsEZW4yojTGMikB6e8LcHz9vu8/s1600/DSC04323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTY5EXXTsbHP-7Wdowl0IZVtR83VOhzgKusODG0Omhm4HqsGo8_2bssoDirMSJeYU-n9KZvpt6O19wCVcqbQUdupQ0U5AfRalkmdVkM16m0mgqiHvgCKsEZW4yojTGMikB6e8LcHz9vu8/s320/DSC04323.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Switching it up a bit with La Jaconde! Blurry but still, awesome! From the Louvre.</div></div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><br />
</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12815485108401837743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733636894574941245.post-37492727143343908772010-11-29T17:26:00.000-08:002010-11-29T17:26:58.979-08:00I Love You, Neuroscience!<div style="text-align: center;">For the past few days I have searched the Internet for nerdy, cogsci-related pickup lines. I SWEAR it's not because I have a 4k word paper due on Friday, a lab due, a stats writeup, a midterm Wednesday, and quiz tomorrow. That CAN'T be it, right? Hah.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u>Disclaimer: I came up with NONE of these. </u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><br />
</u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px;"></span></b></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><b>If I were a neurotransmitter, I would be dopamine so I could activate your reward pathway.</b></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><b>My hypothalamus must be secreting serotonin because baby, I want you!</b></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><b>Hey baby, want to form a synapse with me and exchange neurotransmitters?</b></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><b>If I were a Shwann cell, I'd squeeze areound your axon and give you a fast action potential.</b></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><b>If you were a concentration gradient I'd go down on you.</b></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><b>You must be the one for me, since my selectively permeable membrane let you through.</b></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><b>Hey baby, why don’t we instantiate a new Love object and pass in ourselves as the parameters.</b></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><b>Just being around you sets my synapses on fire.</b></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><b>Before I can commit to this relationship, I need you to declare your variables.</b></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><b>I checked your syntax and found no errors. Wanna go compile?</b></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><b>Baby, if they made you in Java, you’d be the object of my desire.</b></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><b>Why don’t we use some Fourier analysis on our relationship and reduce to a series of simple periodic functions</b></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><b>You just made me cross the action potential threshold...</b></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><b>I'd bind to your active site.</b></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><b>I think we should use an re-uptake inhibitor..</b></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><b>Let my ligand bind your G protein... I swear, you'll experience a cascade of reactions.</b></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12815485108401837743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733636894574941245.post-69304042577763783272010-11-26T01:21:00.000-08:002010-11-26T01:23:01.625-08:00What a Rush..<div style="text-align: center;">...of gratitude! Happy Thanksgiving! I know I'm a little late, but that's okay. My mom was an angel: she created a 80-90% gluten-free feast and it all tasted so delicious! No one, not even my glutenivore family members, felt deprived! Bless her, she also created a vast array of healthy dishes that were fantastic and left us feeling content but not too full! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Last Thanksgiving, I ran my 10K PR, which is around 56 minutes. Considering this was my first sanctioned 10K, not too shabby! This year, I was reminiscing about how much things have changed. I have yet to work up to a marked 10K, but I'm so grateful that I can be out and running without pain, and without fear! Today I just...went. I'm such a little principessa sometimes though, it's not THAT cold at home but I still went out in full underarmour! I just ran...it was one of those days when I just couldn't get comfortable in my shoes, so I ran from my mom's to my dad's with major shinsplints, stopping to retie them. It was casual and I have no clue how far I ran, or how long I was gone. No pressure, no worries, just some mechanical foot turnover and life was good! When I got back I did another twenty-minute vinyasa video to help with mindfulness. As I sat there in savasana, I felt so much gratitude rush into me: for my family, my health, my home, and life :) </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Happy Holidays from the Bay Area!<br />
<br />
<br />
And of course...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4b_dlKmBtOSsu1_xJSiW9L1QM-70p7PFYeX9AfgdfajM02ZtAmYCyMEVFB8zYzhyRXCySPanc4nfEg1r6icE5GVmCg51SY7y0Uh28Iw9Ik67esEKeLhi7lPgP5sx5FQEeUa6I6sTI0o0/s1600/DSC05799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4b_dlKmBtOSsu1_xJSiW9L1QM-70p7PFYeX9AfgdfajM02ZtAmYCyMEVFB8zYzhyRXCySPanc4nfEg1r6icE5GVmCg51SY7y0Uh28Iw9Ik67esEKeLhi7lPgP5sx5FQEeUa6I6sTI0o0/s320/DSC05799.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Tuolomne Falls, I think. Near Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If you haven't noticed, I'm obsessed with these pictures. They remind me that nature has such beauty, such simplicity, yet such perfection<3</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12815485108401837743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733636894574941245.post-85072449931438980022010-11-24T16:18:00.000-08:002010-11-24T16:18:18.235-08:00Camping: How to do it Gluten-Free Part 2<div style="text-align: center;">Well hello again. Back to the pressing topic of how to camp gluten-free. Unless you are allergic to bright stars and clean air, and if so I don't judge, sooner or later you're going to have to figure out how to do this. I would have posted this yesterday, but I had linear and nonlinear curve fitting code to write in MATLAB. So I'm going to assume we can all move on, yes? Yes. So here it is...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">How to Continue to Survive a Week of Camping and Hiking Without Major Health Meltdowns:</div><div style="text-align: center;">(keeps getting catchier, I know...)</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><ol><li><b>Check, doublecheck, and triplecheck labels.</b> Tuolomne had a great little general store: they had gear, maps, souvenirs, food, you name it. This was great: if you ran out of something mid-trip, or forgot to pack it, you could grab it there! But I have to warn you: you MUST check labels. Camping is supposed to be low-maintenance, not a banquet catered by specialty grocers. There is no "gluten-free" section. Still check, even if on the off chance the product is labeled gluten-free. I got lucky and found some rice chips that I still really enjoy, labeled and everything, but this is rare. You may look funny examining every ingredient list, but if something is wrong, it is YOUR digestive system in the woods and in the small, enclosed living space. </li>
<ol><li>Be careful, gluten-free and wheat-free are two different things! Especially beware the word malt. Malt comes from barley, which is not wheat, but contains gluten. Malt is used in CLIF bars, Luna Bars, and a lot of other products. Will wheat always be on the ingredient list? No. Will this fool your digestive system? No. Will you have a very uncomfortable experience? YES. </li>
</ol><li><b>Hold the bun.</b> Here's a secret: burgers and sandwiches can be put on lettuce. You can either ask specifically for this, or just ask for no bun. With all the low-carb diets out there & your credit card in your hand, cashiers usually won't ask questions. It's economically sound as well. They don't waste the bun, which means they don't waste the money. </li>
<li><b>Just Ask.</b> Restaurants are always tricky. This usually won't be a problem, but if you have a lodge or local hotspot, like the Tioga grill, you have to be smart about it. </li>
<ol><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAgidoen3QHH8s-HW29wxU_p5rVFIqwaj_MQFMz0WqoR92QulDAmsxuhb1iDB7cEzimWca8CoC5kbViAvjrMEqJNaEzM40rvdNZ-WaSa89DkDGHkP0ELy3pWj_RdZqEHNrSUJJUjl8mbE/s1600/IMG00107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAgidoen3QHH8s-HW29wxU_p5rVFIqwaj_MQFMz0WqoR92QulDAmsxuhb1iDB7cEzimWca8CoC5kbViAvjrMEqJNaEzM40rvdNZ-WaSa89DkDGHkP0ELy3pWj_RdZqEHNrSUJJUjl8mbE/s320/IMG00107.jpg" width="320" /></a>
<li>Let them know what you can't eat. I asked a waitress about wild rice one night, saying, "You're going to hate me, but is there any form of wheat, barley, rye, spelt, or kamut in this?" She was a sweetheart: "You mean like, gluten?" Yes, that's exactly what I mean. She didn't hate me at all, and mentioned that a manager had Celiac so they were very aware of their ingredients. Wild rice did in fact have barley, so when she brought out the dish I actually ordered, she told me that she asked the chef and it was gluten-free! Except the two pieces of bread on top, to which she replied, "OH MY! The chef does that out of habit! I'm so sorry!" She went back and told the chef, who was horrified. Waiters and waitresses will accomodate you if you're polite about it: they don't want a health meltdown any more than you do! And don't skimp on the tip, either.</li>
<li>In the town of Lee Vining, right outside of the park, there is a Mobil Station. Yes, a gas station. In this gas station, there is a restaurant. Not a dingy little hot dog heater, a restaurant. Live music on Thursday nights, I think. When I asked if there was any flour in a certain dish, the cashier said no, but the cook asked me specifically if I was asking about gluten. Affirmative. Nope, can't have those! But he then listed the dishes that were safe for me to eat. Just be nice about your needs, and no one will have a problem accomodating you! I ended up with a salmon salad pictured above. Gorgey, isn't it? And it was devoured...</li>
</ol></ol><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">So there you have it...camping a la Courtney. I think the major lesson learned here is that you can still eat S'mores. Oh yes.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQi57bcDc0rHv81Xzwp8ZbDTzK7WGMY9lCTMlEJbtqKMnHLC9T8ebrVVH0egY9D2j4d44JL-QWCo5INjAFkAUojVIqG7CClMOxVz62tQyyob2NEKOTa41DQ4MOQfF-veBOiQUFRgioYfU/s1600/DSC05791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQi57bcDc0rHv81Xzwp8ZbDTzK7WGMY9lCTMlEJbtqKMnHLC9T8ebrVVH0egY9D2j4d44JL-QWCo5INjAFkAUojVIqG7CClMOxVz62tQyyob2NEKOTa41DQ4MOQfF-veBOiQUFRgioYfU/s320/DSC05791.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I built a cairn! Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp hike.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yes, that's my shadow. Photography isn't my major skill...or any skill.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12815485108401837743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733636894574941245.post-67285841702297172262010-11-23T17:06:00.000-08:002010-11-23T19:26:46.082-08:00Um hi,<div style="text-align: center;">I may or may not be the girl that eats all the chocolate chips out of the trail mix and ends up with a bag of everything else.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I almost suggested that they should make trail mix just for that girl, but they do, it's called a bag of chocolate chips. Hah.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Rsla8fgOiCk8omX_1TDG5tLYtuQLkEBh8NjNGdqYmU8ODXgjzXvsJ9ozvyAhknt5-HF9SEf2VibRRBYoxGFCO0Wt6iQqjgS52uPeII80rKVo-VqXa7OM8fxUqX8h7tuNeq-QWV9EuXs/s1600/DSC05599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Rsla8fgOiCk8omX_1TDG5tLYtuQLkEBh8NjNGdqYmU8ODXgjzXvsJ9ozvyAhknt5-HF9SEf2VibRRBYoxGFCO0Wt6iQqjgS52uPeII80rKVo-VqXa7OM8fxUqX8h7tuNeq-QWV9EuXs/s320/DSC05599.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I'm in a jazzy sort of mood :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">...And a twenty minute free Vinyasa download from <a href="http://yogadownload.com/">yogadownload.com</a> was JUST what I needed today.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12815485108401837743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733636894574941245.post-77569680375883442252010-11-23T01:50:00.000-08:002010-11-23T02:02:49.759-08:00Camping: How to do it Gluten-Free Part 1<div style="text-align: center;">Over the summer, my cousin & I went up to Tuolomne Meadows for a week. This was a true test: I had gorgey new hiking boots and a body that hadn't been put through serious exercise (aside from running around after campers) in months. And I was stoked. Naturally, I didn't want to be the girl in the group with major digestive distress, or the high-maintenance girl that sits there moping about what she can and can't eat while everyone makes s'mores. Because really, who wants to be in a tent (or tentcabin, I'm really not the most woodsy person) with THAT girl? Please.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">There's only one rule when it comes to pulling off a feat like this. Have a sense of humor! Really, you're going to be among pb&j sandwiches, CLIF bars, graham crackers, hot dog and hamburger buns, and probably a million pounds of crackers. You might as well take it in stride! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">How to Survive a Week of Camping and Hiking Without Major Health Meltdowns:</div><div style="text-align: center;">(catchy title, right? I thought so.)</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><ol><li style="text-align: left;"><b>Explain your situation ahead of time.</b> I told my aunt and my cousin my situation, and that I would be bringing my own specialty items, about a week before the trip. This let them pack for themselves and not have to worry about what I would like or wouldn't be able to eat. I ate my food, they ate theirs. Simple, and they don't go broke trying to accomodate me!</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b>Load up on fruits and vegetables! </b>This one was huge, because fruits and vegetables are my body's favorite, and they bulked up every meal! Salads, check. Fruit in my cereal, check. Quick sugars, check. Easy side dishes, check. Do itttt.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b>BYOFF.</b> Bring Your Own Freak Food (I mean freak in the most loving way, as I'm referring to my own diet). Want to enjoy s'mores? Bring your own graham crackers. Need trail food? Stock up on GF energy bars. I took NUGO Free bars, which I wasn't too impressed with. The tastes were good; I tried the carrot cake and dark chocolate varieties, but the texture didn't suit. Too chewy, too rice-krispy treat-y, but soggy if that makes sense. I guess I should have spent more time planning that part out.</li>
<ol><li style="text-align: left;">Cereal, Bread, and Graham Crackers: I took gluten-free cereal with me: Nature's Path Crunch Vanilla Sunrise. Definitely a winner, but I don't eat cereal often. In terms of bread, I took millet and LOVED it (thank you <a href="http://www.fitnessista.com/">Fitnessista</a>!). Tasted rather like a scone, and scones are my ultimate weakness! Finally, the crucial parts. S'more ingredients. I searched Whole Paycheck long and hard, and ended up settling on Healthy Valley Rice Bran Crackers. Not graham-y, really, but they did the trick and I adored the taste! I could have made my own, a la <a href="http://www.celiacteen.com/2010/my-daring-bakers-challenge-gluten-free/">Lauren</a>, but I didn't have the time or the ingredients on hand. Oh well, next time!</li>
</ol><li style="text-align: left;"><b>Go Anti-OPF. </b>Unless you can be certain that what you are offered is gluten-free, stay away from Other People's Food. Exceptions: fruits, vegetables, water, most chocolate. It just makes things a lot easier.</li>
</ol><div style="text-align: center;">Since this is definitely a lot of information to handle at once, I'm going to cut it here and come back later with a Part 2! Happy Tuesday? Sleepless nights are no fun :(</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOyXJN0uiiiCucnlUeejUr-WZETfjetMvKMtLG9QuTB9T4TZR_OlOGBK9_oQL9-50X2j7Ywf_2QsjS5iKQnIBK5BGyzeEar0DeZ_eImr-en4LRDfRiemRJP9KZM1FlPDWnApDRwQ4o6do/s1600/DSC05745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOyXJN0uiiiCucnlUeejUr-WZETfjetMvKMtLG9QuTB9T4TZR_OlOGBK9_oQL9-50X2j7Ywf_2QsjS5iKQnIBK5BGyzeEar0DeZ_eImr-en4LRDfRiemRJP9KZM1FlPDWnApDRwQ4o6do/s320/DSC05745.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Elizabeth Lake, where the fish are so excited that they jump at you!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12815485108401837743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733636894574941245.post-22548082708144674372010-11-22T23:39:00.000-08:002010-11-22T23:39:21.159-08:00Here's to Life...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Let's just live, laugh, love, and marvel.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTM5xCEPTMWL7SYIBFv6iEDh2OAfBHUJJCwziut2fzqEe9urqsR28cyehMU6hGoTu8Xecor9kTN2wDc7B4NYPNZe4ogXumNMwvvq1fescdMnQCmdH9b3U19KwgUga5EVqy1gGxSa2mbv0/s1600/DSC05782.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTM5xCEPTMWL7SYIBFv6iEDh2OAfBHUJJCwziut2fzqEe9urqsR28cyehMU6hGoTu8Xecor9kTN2wDc7B4NYPNZe4ogXumNMwvvq1fescdMnQCmdH9b3U19KwgUga5EVqy1gGxSa2mbv0/s320/DSC05782.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">May Lake, Tuolumne Meadows.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We don't need anything more.</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12815485108401837743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733636894574941245.post-38412312424653542322010-11-21T20:07:00.000-08:002010-11-21T20:07:00.323-08:00Freak Food CAN Taste Good!<div style="text-align: center;">It's autumn. Well, in case I needed an excuse. Of all the recipes I try out, it's about time I posted more of them! Chili will come later...when I finish licking my spoon of course! Anyway, I thought a little pumpkin loving might be appropriate. Finding a good recipe took a nice long time, but I finally settled on one and couldn't be more satisfied...I think I even used this recipe last time, but didn't add xantham gum. Oops. Delish, but crumbly. This time, NEVER FEAR! Like you would, really. Anyway, I adapted <a href="http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/pumpkin-blondies/">this</a> recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies, and ohhh my, they were wonderful!</div><div style="text-align: center;">ALLLLL credit goes to <a href="http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/">Jamie from My Baking Addiction</a>! Thank youuu!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">My changes:</div><br />
<ul><li style="text-align: center;">Added WAYYY more cinnamon than was called for (um, duh, it's me)</li>
<li style="text-align: center;">Used all light brown sugar (but left off 1/4 cup)</li>
<li style="text-align: center;">Melted the butter and mixed everything at once</li>
<li style="text-align: center;">Omitted the pecans</li>
<li style="text-align: center;">Um, MADE IT GLUTEN FREE? Oh yeah, that. I swear, sometimes I feel like taking a sharpie into the supermarket, crossing out the 100% whole wheat, & replacing it with 100% POISON. I won't, I promise. Look out though, San Diego. </li>
<ul><li style="text-align: center;">I used Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Flour. My apartment-mate bought it without realizing what it was, and I'm stoked.</li>
<li style="text-align: center;">The flour wasn't measured too carefully though...</li>
</ul><li style="text-align: center;">Added a heaping 1/4 TSP of xanthan gum</li>
<li style="text-align: center;">Dumped a full bag of semi-sweet, not dark, chocolate chips. I live on campus, no specialty chips...</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: center;">I wanted to take pictures, I swear. Well, no, I didn't, by the time I remembered:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOV1Q9fgEFuscBaiG3nC74P2rSyD91CQFp30BqkqghIjIw1rkkPIZhWFxoznxnNpPJTbFiz6jAdnHelDEqaHUI_zeUo8Ue6g07nJlQPpXtvQ9MTsbq0vo8qilbu9jqCeaottbzxujcVY8/s1600/DSC05829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOV1Q9fgEFuscBaiG3nC74P2rSyD91CQFp30BqkqghIjIw1rkkPIZhWFxoznxnNpPJTbFiz6jAdnHelDEqaHUI_zeUo8Ue6g07nJlQPpXtvQ9MTsbq0vo8qilbu9jqCeaottbzxujcVY8/s320/DSC05829.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Oops! Just kidding, I cut them up and shoved them in the freezer after snacking on a couple. I'm not the best food photographer, as my camera is from my freshman year in high school (seven years ago, I'm OLD). But here's a pretty shot of the blondies in the saran wrap?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx5N6aQ1ZkNqAz8d3fN2LGlcb9VkETqHVG-iRICwZnYTvNVF8PcHK6lQHJBj7Y7i0fz6ODkYIvK-jzpsUxckFSRQUrtBC-nAPoZME6bmUvLKyeHSLY0lj41Zv_75InftaesyXD-8Zpbkc/s1600/DSC05836.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx5N6aQ1ZkNqAz8d3fN2LGlcb9VkETqHVG-iRICwZnYTvNVF8PcHK6lQHJBj7Y7i0fz6ODkYIvK-jzpsUxckFSRQUrtBC-nAPoZME6bmUvLKyeHSLY0lj41Zv_75InftaesyXD-8Zpbkc/s320/DSC05836.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yummay. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12815485108401837743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733636894574941245.post-35959960281238780172010-10-18T16:20:00.000-07:002010-10-18T16:20:43.738-07:00weekbeforerace-itis<div style="text-align: center;">It's an actual condition. It happens. LA Rock 'n' Roll is on Sunday and suddenly, my whole body hurts. My foot is bad again maybe, my shins are starting to act up again. My knees should start hurting within the next few days, and I fully expect my hips to follow. And then maybe something totally unrelated...my forehead will start itching and suddenly I won't be able to run properly.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Seriously, Google it. I swear it's an actual condition. And for everyone that tells me it's all in my head, well...Yes, it totally is. Utterly and completely, all in my head. Now, I could go into the question of pain being entirely in the brain (and mind, if you're a monist) because the brain has no actual pain receptors, and open up an entire line of research on the matter, but instead I'll say this: the week before the race, it IS all mental. Happens every time (well, with La Jolla I actually was injured so that doesn't count). It's completely common, and once identified, totally hilarious. What else can possibly go wrong? It's the week before the race, of course EVERYTHING will somehow find a way to blow up. Of course. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">That being said, I kept my workout light on the impact scale today. Half an hour on the stationary bike, some free weights, some weight machines. I walked for around ten minutes on the treadmill, intending to run, then took about ten minutes to tie my shoes properly. Finally got on the treadmill, and oh hello shins! So I listened, inclined it and ramped up the speed, and ran for a total of thirty seconds. Nice one, Courtney. Really. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">My schedule of Insanity got completely wonky (thank you, <a href="http://www.fitnessista.com/">Fitnessista</a>, wonky has become part of my vocabulary) from taking the week off, so I started again last Friday and just backtracked to restart Week 3. Today would have been the Fit Test again, which I did last Monday, so I just headed to the gym instead. You can bet Shaun T will be back in my life tomorrow<3</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Off to study for my Neuroanatomy midterm tomorrow, and who knows, later in the week my eyelashes may turn purple. After all, it's the week before the race!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And remember, life is a beautiful thing:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDyjgB33myXF-zSvm3dl2NVe_LzQNg3Njyl3XDacJU2SCk3OBiM8Opqaq57u4PHGMlIYAMXepmSrARI-ZsUjZhatYe7RWGOnEorxj7cq-er0EXRwUPbuVywhnOmsdp-ikUECZph0Es_e8/s1600/pothole+dome+sky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDyjgB33myXF-zSvm3dl2NVe_LzQNg3Njyl3XDacJU2SCk3OBiM8Opqaq57u4PHGMlIYAMXepmSrARI-ZsUjZhatYe7RWGOnEorxj7cq-er0EXRwUPbuVywhnOmsdp-ikUECZph0Es_e8/s320/pothole+dome+sky.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pothole Dome, Tuolomne Meadows</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12815485108401837743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733636894574941245.post-10771961231113840592010-10-14T23:53:00.000-07:002010-10-15T16:04:13.357-07:00Let's Change it Up a Bit<div style="text-align: center;">I've written a lot about things that bother me, and things that worry me, and things that I'm really excited about. But I realized I haven't really spent time lately to think about what I'm thankful for, what I don't want to take for granted. So here it goes:<br />
<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCNv_tHMmg9FsmAbE_dSWxOQAIp_gishsO_0d82I6vBZ_skxQoN5iEA2kmOipQv2tGX0G3WvQGbITrgjHWBZpd0zzmgO9ZzBy66gH0-FkrI2B84nFLcNqxNtB0eUrAjVc6Pdcp43ZcaNw/s1600/007_7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCNv_tHMmg9FsmAbE_dSWxOQAIp_gishsO_0d82I6vBZ_skxQoN5iEA2kmOipQv2tGX0G3WvQGbITrgjHWBZpd0zzmgO9ZzBy66gH0-FkrI2B84nFLcNqxNtB0eUrAjVc6Pdcp43ZcaNw/s320/007_7.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Health and strength.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFX4lDg-YvUJzuIcYASpad8JDQyDLQz5r1EAamVx_IQKMBX5aUxLC3cY1Q6SL4y2eKPYuboTdI3Fxp1-jGZYL1ceX916JAwNd2QfJ3bDxSRCc5bR3fPYeFQz_6uUo88LvNYDwOHrxWkvM/s1600/DSC05607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFX4lDg-YvUJzuIcYASpad8JDQyDLQz5r1EAamVx_IQKMBX5aUxLC3cY1Q6SL4y2eKPYuboTdI3Fxp1-jGZYL1ceX916JAwNd2QfJ3bDxSRCc5bR3fPYeFQz_6uUo88LvNYDwOHrxWkvM/s320/DSC05607.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Blending of culture.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEwsImceam-PbU-ZmLF9ZkMbBjLV9BxVW6Yt_eQnUaZiwUIEr7y1hislJi22U-kk_7Ii73IDeWAJY4mnma_L4_yZlgK58S6W5xLuV9HCwtkPSr9Zg_CSOdJX4h95NbrJwB_-MvjeaPpus/s1600/DSC05810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEwsImceam-PbU-ZmLF9ZkMbBjLV9BxVW6Yt_eQnUaZiwUIEr7y1hislJi22U-kk_7Ii73IDeWAJY4mnma_L4_yZlgK58S6W5xLuV9HCwtkPSr9Zg_CSOdJX4h95NbrJwB_-MvjeaPpus/s320/DSC05810.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Natural beauty.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is the Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp. Breathtaking, isn't it?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi16tkmlIEN4dg-AcdvFw6oU5heEfthorOeRBZ_pbjllYN59UagjKRFfEAhVmgJZCyXT-GgoFICQnaoCeB_lye7n0m0LYuyX7BxvDZdm7dX7Qit-kMhSzDIfyQXULxfqF8XT2Mr1BuV3iY/s1600/DSC05623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi16tkmlIEN4dg-AcdvFw6oU5heEfthorOeRBZ_pbjllYN59UagjKRFfEAhVmgJZCyXT-GgoFICQnaoCeB_lye7n0m0LYuyX7BxvDZdm7dX7Qit-kMhSzDIfyQXULxfqF8XT2Mr1BuV3iY/s320/DSC05623.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Joy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIF9WJK3jOYfrFatRebaqswSVaLUdffpKeBJwyHhdhj_bK85PgW7WGJdhgvM9xpR4eeo8PBHzgIh3up_ll_lPmk3CeqVWl8ucRSjoGBGygjfDJRrIWgFwUvHymyyTngPjDrEUj6Z2mnQ/s1600/DSC05659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIF9WJK3jOYfrFatRebaqswSVaLUdffpKeBJwyHhdhj_bK85PgW7WGJdhgvM9xpR4eeo8PBHzgIh3up_ll_lPmk3CeqVWl8ucRSjoGBGygjfDJRrIWgFwUvHymyyTngPjDrEUj6Z2mnQ/s320/DSC05659.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Simplicity.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXqb7D948dvCvAVeKRHGyJ1pB0_tWNCH1bxuasU0LGGuCoVwwja7hBWlLprw2khGqBm1uc_v1bmnbrdEizXoo7iiBYyhYNdWFZD1DHPJAj57wKuqxzRcbqaFOqyZcxdCBGs-iddsLdQw/s1600/Moose&Thizz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXqb7D948dvCvAVeKRHGyJ1pB0_tWNCH1bxuasU0LGGuCoVwwja7hBWlLprw2khGqBm1uc_v1bmnbrdEizXoo7iiBYyhYNdWFZD1DHPJAj57wKuqxzRcbqaFOqyZcxdCBGs-iddsLdQw/s320/Moose&Thizz.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Friendship.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipUlWjlbupkwbGstcfBbbdq5GjtNY11aFkT_3hrcmBzTJVnremPiGWHlu4hLJsoaHgN20imwK6TF76fG1QtQcZTzg6vYeggacFjj_z0aps0FP2eRpbbRqycYu6un0skP4Wdf9BVZo4DP0/s1600/Granite&Gaylor+Lakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipUlWjlbupkwbGstcfBbbdq5GjtNY11aFkT_3hrcmBzTJVnremPiGWHlu4hLJsoaHgN20imwK6TF76fG1QtQcZTzg6vYeggacFjj_z0aps0FP2eRpbbRqycYu6un0skP4Wdf9BVZo4DP0/s320/Granite&Gaylor+Lakes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Exploration.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg044AHexVEOXicwh4rA66A2tkSQvWF53wNLFEIaTRfdqNXmZu-4gEI_eE_BmIAD_GNBZUEAVDJ9ZRY7-G1gr9zAeMB5VVnHPD8UpXXxhHPGN3ups1Wc6Rje87L8dHSaYI3jJbf1f7UV2Q/s1600/Team+Jersey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg044AHexVEOXicwh4rA66A2tkSQvWF53wNLFEIaTRfdqNXmZu-4gEI_eE_BmIAD_GNBZUEAVDJ9ZRY7-G1gr9zAeMB5VVnHPD8UpXXxhHPGN3ups1Wc6Rje87L8dHSaYI3jJbf1f7UV2Q/s320/Team+Jersey.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Dedication.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLx1ZkADbgq2B6dxO7DqMFlrVOyBNZ5pBx8ouzrzwAbEBSDuMduRV-Qq-D1vl0I8z9Px6Ba7xRLyOAp3lbcZSV1DSUtj8hc7mjB3TFQY6IfA8dhLNMSefM8y4b9swIYZsJ_WzWW8vG4bE/s1600/dlandhats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLx1ZkADbgq2B6dxO7DqMFlrVOyBNZ5pBx8ouzrzwAbEBSDuMduRV-Qq-D1vl0I8z9Px6Ba7xRLyOAp3lbcZSV1DSUtj8hc7mjB3TFQY6IfA8dhLNMSefM8y4b9swIYZsJ_WzWW8vG4bE/s320/dlandhats.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Silliness.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJm0pm-bsJ_1sZVJIecMg12tSBb01iWAG_eEaOjdXRAul1LydbO_2gr0lUg1z2wr1ChRoVsPhZCV6iDCtU4g-Az-iyedOeu7Wzfsa4ltUMP3-UJ7dzy_kgweksEk6q20LyOLpHStvxUk/s1600/endorphinscomic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJm0pm-bsJ_1sZVJIecMg12tSBb01iWAG_eEaOjdXRAul1LydbO_2gr0lUg1z2wr1ChRoVsPhZCV6iDCtU4g-Az-iyedOeu7Wzfsa4ltUMP3-UJ7dzy_kgweksEk6q20LyOLpHStvxUk/s320/endorphinscomic.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/e/endorphins.asp">Endorphins.</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm73NxRi5lVUhLOLiG7ySJ-tZVwyiyA_wsNyCm85WFd9Sd9H0LQEf1sCuLS26XY1eksYkqFxY8hyXfT1vXXrjS9KY85fnPyP_5gc-OWJpC_N44xdD8XSbFLc-fRvTnQltKZzFS7iiYgxk/s1600/Sunshinepicture.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm73NxRi5lVUhLOLiG7ySJ-tZVwyiyA_wsNyCm85WFd9Sd9H0LQEf1sCuLS26XY1eksYkqFxY8hyXfT1vXXrjS9KY85fnPyP_5gc-OWJpC_N44xdD8XSbFLc-fRvTnQltKZzFS7iiYgxk/s1600/Sunshinepicture.jpeg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.policymed.com/2009/05/physician-payment-sunshine-act-senate-finance-committee-grassley-baucus-plan-2009.html">Sunshine.</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There is so much more, and I'll continue this as time goes on.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">...There is always something to be grateful for.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12815485108401837743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733636894574941245.post-514976246561101742010-10-13T00:18:00.000-07:002010-11-23T02:03:46.609-08:00The Bug<div style="text-align: center;">Oh, the bug. The bug that makes you forget how much long long distances hurt and how painful walking, sitting, and even smiling were after your marathon. The bug that says, <i>hey, that was fun, let's do it again!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">It bit me.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">All over, really. I mentioned before that I wanted to run with Team in Training in Nashville, and finally today I said I would do it. I wanted to so badly, and I'll have adequate training before then! After all, Team in Training doesn't assume that you've done this before. I guess I'll need green&purple bandaids to cover these bites! I'm ecstatic though. I'm going to start fundraising EARLY, and then I get to run another marathon, another pin for my jacket, and I get to visit <a href="http://heathereatsalmondbutter.com/">HEAB's</a> city! Heather, you can bet that I'll be taking major recommendations from your blog! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm happy about this, really happy. I've been feeling demoralized for wayyy too long. That's the rest of this post...not as uplifting. But honest.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><s>And again, I have to postpone the rest of this</s>. There is a Latin translation of Petronius' <i>Satyricon</i> staring at me as if to say <i>you can run, but you can't hide!</i> I don't need to hide though, I'll take the running! Sorry, cheese factor skyrocketing, but my little joke...<br />
<br />
&&Another night and I can't sleep. I blame the naps I took today, I can't let myself sleep from 3 to 5 pm! I think finishing this post will take a lot off of my mind and let me finally sleep.<br />
<br />
But first...<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">HAPPY SWEET SIXTEEN KYLIE<3</span></span><br />
Today is my sister's sixteenth birthday. Funny how that works isn't it? I turned around and she wasn't five years old anymore. She's got the exact same hands though, I could never stay mad at her when she showed me those cute little hands!<br />
<br />
Anyway, I've been dealing with some seriously low morale as of late. It didn't occur to me that when I started running again, I wouldn't just be able to jump back in to my old comfort zone of six or seven miles a day. I mean I knew I'd have to go slowly at first, but I thought I'd be able to jump back up more quickly. As it happens, I lost a lot of physical fitness ability. It's hard to only run a 5k when my heart is with long, long, looonnng distances. At that distance, the endorphins have barely started pumping (because I wasn't ready to speed up, I just wanted to make it) and the pain has barely left. There isn't anything truly joyous in it, and there's no addiction factor.<br />
<br />
I never faced the idea that it would take such small steps to come back I guess. I don't feel quite like myself yet. It's completely and utterly demoralizing to not be able to do what I could yet. I'm working on it, but honestly, it's been hard. I got on the treadmill again, and it was like I had never run on one before. I'm only doing ten minute stretches of intervals, which are between six miles per hour and around six and a half, with a few seconds of seven. The first time, I just hopped on the treadmill thinking I would do five sets of 3x2 with my slowest speed at 5.9 mph (always averaging six mph). Well, let's just say I'm not there yet. But then I remembered that when I started playing with treadmill intervals (last year, because I was always scared of the treadmill!), I started with walking and running, not just running with varying speeds.<br />
<br />
It really is back to the beginning. I want to get back up to at least a few six mile runs before training for Nashville starts, that way I can still feel a bit like my old self. It's difficult. Thoroughly difficult, because I'm letting my thoughts and expectations get in the way of true improvement. I know I'm not the only one who has felt like this, which is why I'm sharing this now. This is me, at this moment in my life, trying to face one of my demons. And it's hard. If there's one thing I know for sure though, it's that the rush of long distance running is completely worth the wait. I'm going to try to be grateful.<br />
<br />
Speaking of being grateful, here is something I hope to never take for granted again:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4RFnEmMr45j6nEgM-bNuAqtiP7Py2xA9CFM8ba4bzoGVDTYUOUq-SdgS8fMGWd4YAfRvfKZfFSsYYm4fRWGnEDwvWCPLGaEJrsUPp53XAltnne8EbVvAdVJsovV3cEcpIrY5EmL7FlSw/s1600/DSC05781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4RFnEmMr45j6nEgM-bNuAqtiP7Py2xA9CFM8ba4bzoGVDTYUOUq-SdgS8fMGWd4YAfRvfKZfFSsYYm4fRWGnEDwvWCPLGaEJrsUPp53XAltnne8EbVvAdVJsovV3cEcpIrY5EmL7FlSw/s320/DSC05781.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">May Lake (Tuolomne Meadows, California)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Exquisite and pure.</div><br />
</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12815485108401837743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733636894574941245.post-7773287315265780642010-10-09T19:23:00.000-07:002010-10-09T19:30:15.363-07:00No Big Deal or Anything, but...<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">I GOT TO HOLD A BRAIN!!!!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;">Yes, a real human brain. In my hands. In my twenty-year-old, Disneyland-loving, gluten-free, coffee-obsessed hands. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The day started with my statistics class at 9, in which I fell asleep. Then my MATLAB class at 11, fell asleep again. Long week for sure. Then I got to my Neuroanatomy discussion section at 12 (while frantically studying for 1 p.m. Latin), where I not only found out that I didn't do quite so horribly on my quiz last week, but my TA also said okay, today is a LAB day. For this lab, we basically had to label brain structures on printouts of coronal, lateral, and sagittal views, and then describe some of the structures in a few sentences. All of this can be done outside of class (I'm 70% done anyway...), but then he held up a brain. A real brain. Just like that. Someone asked if it had gotten smaller because of the drying/preservation process. Only 10-20%, he said, not much. Then, as if it was nothing at all in his hands, held it up to his own head as a comparison. <b>Just like that. </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">There were other brains at the front of the classroom, a macaque brain, rat brains, and a few others I didn't pay attention to. I wanted the human brain. The animal brains were all soaked in formaldehyde, so I didn't get to pick them up as we were running out of gloves. Like I said, I wasn't paying any attention to them to begin with. The human brain was just...there. No formaldehyde, a different process. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Part of me was grossed out, but the MUCH larger part was excited. This is what I study, this is what I love! I'll say it again:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">I LOVE THE BRAIN!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;">Convinced? Me too. I used to be a Political Science major. I wanted to be a Civil Rights Lawyer. And now, I might still want to, but I found something to study that just thrills me. I never thought I'd be a science major, that's laughable. But I just love the brain! I love learning about it, I love neurons, I love the lobes, I love CT scans and EEG recordings and TMS research! TMS stands for Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, and one of my professors does a lot of work with it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So there I was, holding this brain. This thing that was so unassuming, so...well, so ugly actually, color-wise. It was this tan/yellow/dull shade, not the pink I had imagined. Then again, it was a dead brain. No blood flow or anything, no action potentials, no neurotransmitters, nothing. But the structures were there, the nerve fibers, oh my gosh the nerve fibers! All tangled, and the cerebellum, with its striations, was just sitting there! Just chilling out I guess. Chillin' like a villain. Cool.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And this unassuming organ, this ugly-colored dead organ, was once the key to someone's entire life! Still the key to life, just now in a more universal sense. The most electrifying, brilliant, incredible machine, and it was just sitting there waiting for me to pick it up at the front of the classroom! It's hard to even grasp the experience, the idea that I was holding something so complex, the key to the evolution of cognition, the neural processes underlying behavior, and the reason I can even approach this level of thinking! And I was holding it in my hands. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">...I'll never forget it. Ever.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12815485108401837743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733636894574941245.post-43597682004224896182010-10-05T01:51:00.000-07:002010-10-09T19:27:52.533-07:00Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock...<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What you waiting</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What you waiting</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What you waiting for!? </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thank you, Gwen Stefani, this pretty much hits the nail on the head. So here's the deal:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'M SCARED.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There it is: honesty, brutal honesty. I'm scared to run again. I'm scared because I love something so much, and I can't have it taken from me again. This sounds dramatic, but here's the deal. Before running, I was a mess. I had just come out of my senior year in high school, after dealing with some intense issues (can't go into it yet, the blog isn't mature enough yet), which cost me my friends, my understanding of the way the world worked, and my knowledge of who I was to begin with. Not to mention, it KILLED my last soccer season, which prior to that had been everything to me. I played for twelve years, and the last memory I have of it is not being able to do what I used to be able to. Not being strong, not having any power in my body and watching my skills deteriorate, hating myself, wondering what was wrong!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So I needed something. I needed a new passion, something that would be </span></span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">mine</span></span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. Soccer was over for me, swimming was a totally different story, and I was unhappy. Trying to adjust to a new, MUCH BETTER (I have the most amazing friends anyone could ask for) life, and I realized that all through life I had been uncomfortable with my body. I had always been active, but never took a liking to the idea that running was really effective! So I finally told myself to </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">suck it up</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, because I was NOT about to gain the Freshman 15, thank you very much.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><s><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm finally tired, it's time for bed. I'll finish this off tomorrow, as it won't save properly.</span></span></s><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm truly horrible sometimes. I know this isn't the next day, or the day after, or even the day after, but a full THREE days later and I'm finally finishing this up. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There it is. Honesty and clean: I started running because I was unhappy with both my life and my body. I ran/walked two miles: running everything but crosswalks. I did this every day, and then added more distance so I was running three miles a day, eventually without any walking! </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Somewhere along the line...</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I fell in love.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My body changed, my mood changed, and my self-respect shot through the roof. It was wonderful! Sure, it was hard. There were days when it just didn't feel anything close to pleasant. But hey, that's love right? I think? Not every day is perfect? Right.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">...So that's what I lost for four months. And now, I know I'm okay, but I'm scared to lose that again. I feel like I'm hiding behind Insanity, if that makes sense at all. I use Insanity as an excuse to not run, and it's not like I'm not getting exercise, quite the opposite. But I go to bed thinking about running. I'm just...scared. Clearly I'm healed, and healthy again, because I can do intense plyometric workouts, and I can run a couple miles at a time. It's only fear now, that's really all it is and I know it. Baby steps. Okay, I can do this.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm taking the week off of Insanity because I didn't have proper shoes (I know, I know, you think this wouldn't be an issue) for it: I used old running shoes in place of cross-trainers. Bad idea, because my left ankle is now very unhappy. I rolled it at Disney, but haven't had any pain running, just doing plyos. So I think I'll get my butt on the treadmill again :] Let's get rid of this fear k? K.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div></span>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12815485108401837743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733636894574941245.post-3044161630868351922010-09-25T14:03:00.000-07:002010-09-25T14:03:06.766-07:00And Now I Present...<div style="text-align: center;">My first successful batch of protein ice cream! It was supposed to be <a href="http://kristensraw.blogspot.com/2010/02/raw-vegan-recipe-video-cherry-chocolate.html">chocolate-cherry</a>, but it's a bit more chocolate-y with a hint of cherry. Complaints? None here :]</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_IB-Tn6PeUIBIzQygL4bf1hj8FJQ6I4deWTFXAX27VewtwqPYdM0gIo30lV8F9JIduSB1-6Ti_qG2IqoO7guCLZtK7mKURMHELsevHo54TcNI7H1mRDZZVVjZIQjiZUj4mCxD6ohQiWlS/s1600/IMG00121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_IB-Tn6PeUIBIzQygL4bf1hj8FJQ6I4deWTFXAX27VewtwqPYdM0gIo30lV8F9JIduSB1-6Ti_qG2IqoO7guCLZtK7mKURMHELsevHo54TcNI7H1mRDZZVVjZIQjiZUj4mCxD6ohQiWlS/s320/IMG00121.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Thank you, <a href="http://heathereatsalmondbutter.com/">HEAB</a>, this is so much fun to eat!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><i>&&tasted absolutely wonderful after Shaun T's Plyometric Cardio Circuit! I LOVE INSANITY!</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12815485108401837743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733636894574941245.post-19159949271762880462010-09-24T10:24:00.000-07:002010-09-25T11:35:10.262-07:00Sweet Solitude<div style="text-align: center;">Sometimes I wonder why it's so hard to just unplug, you know? I have an hour between two of my morning classes, and it's not worth it to go all the way back to my apartment (on campus, but still) and walk all the way back. When I schedule my classes that way, my first thought is <i>What am I going to do with that extra time? Where do I go?</i> It's silly, really, because I'm lucky enough to go to one of the most beautiful universities EVER, imo, and here I am making a big deal about not knowing how to spend an hour. I've gotten better, I'm sitting in my favorite spot on huge stairs that form benches (they have a separate staircase) on the side of a major campus center. So far, I'm the only person just sitting here, as most people prefer the tables and chairs that line the frozen yogurt shop or the student services center. I like my stone benches though, they're relaxing purely for their simplicity, their lack of defined use. There's a fountain in the shape of our school's mascot at the base of the stone benches, so I get to feel the breeze, the San Diego autumn heat, and hear the splash of water. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">It's eternally wonderful, and yet, whenever I sit here I feel the need to have SOMETHING going on. My Blackberry next to me, perhaps, or even blogging, like now. The only time I brought a book, I called my dad to talk anyway. Why is it so hard to step away from interpersonal connections and just breathe? It seems like I constantly need stimulation, something that has only gotten worse over time. I am <i>in medias res</i>, or in the middle of things, with a lot of things. My morning, my adjustment to being back at school, and a book that my grandmother sent me called <i>Gifts of the Sea</i> by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. She writes a very poignant chapter on solitude, and how we must take the opportunities to step back from our daily lives and take time to just be. Alone. Unplugged. Because we can't give life everything that we have, we can't develop interpersonal connections, unless we can find peace alone, in her case on a secluded beach, in my case on stone benches next to a fountain. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I've started to rejoice in the solitude I get from yoga. Yes, there is an instructor, yes there are classmates, fellow souls seeking the same peace that I'm seeking, but each stretch is a test of personal limits, of inner strength just as much as outer. Running can give me that solitude as well. But still, I often find the need to be plugged in, especially to my iPod. If I'm at the gym, on a machine, I don't have the time to think, nor the desire. I send text messages, try to read <b>Runner's World</b>, and just generally try to find connections. Outside is different. There is music playing but after the first few miles I don't hear it. I try to work out kinks in my thoughts, subtle but disturbing nuances in my day, and any lingering emotion that I want to work through. I think it's gotten harder since I had to sit out of long distance running, because I wasn't accustomed to not having an hour or more daily to just pound the pavement and think. Now running is clouded with worry...what if I'm not healed? What if I'm just angering fate?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Soon, I think. Soon I will be able to put miles and miles down and not worry about my body, because I know I'm capable of great things. Starting with taking time for blissful, sweet solitude.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'll leave you with this last picture, something my mom took on her cell phone, as a reminder to take time to relax and reflect, and to be eternally grateful for natural peace.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfBv_TUlQYoWGSG65wOc4ZZIz31EqcpPZI2LHlCrTzH1w__Z3_tm746OPPpuiYJaD4AJ2FoBtD0PmpLkDfRWFSz9vdDmrmh4iwvr_LOtXGMdm9J33gUWOK4JangJjBenrPVl2Pp5WuDMZX/s1600/32537_391737077950_501867950_4113698_3390418_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfBv_TUlQYoWGSG65wOc4ZZIz31EqcpPZI2LHlCrTzH1w__Z3_tm746OPPpuiYJaD4AJ2FoBtD0PmpLkDfRWFSz9vdDmrmh4iwvr_LOtXGMdm9J33gUWOK4JangJjBenrPVl2Pp5WuDMZX/s320/32537_391737077950_501867950_4113698_3390418_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12815485108401837743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733636894574941245.post-60553390208404180462010-09-23T20:42:00.000-07:002010-09-23T20:42:43.034-07:00Nashville, in my dreams?<div style="text-align: center;">I REALLY REALLYYY want to run <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Rock 'n' Roll Nashville</span></span>. I mean, there's always fear of injury, and since I'm still at the 5k level who knows where I'll be in November, when the TNT season starts. I mean, it would be through TEAM, of course, so I'd be insanely well-trained, but I just came back from a MAJOR injury. I think since I can run short distance, do yoga, and do Insanity, my foot is okay, but I'm terrified that I will reinjure it. I had to drop out of the Nike Women's Marathon, which is actually coming up, because I wouldn't have been trained and realized that it would be too much too soon. I was so excited for that, because Alumni Fundraising worked out for me. If I do Nashville, I think I'd have to do full fundraising because I'm a <u>college kid</u>. I can't afford things like that you know? I'd really love to mentor, and that would give me a discount, but we'll see. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">But after dropping Nike I picked up <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">LA Rock 'n' Roll Half</span></b>, which will be inaugural, a week after Nike, and I'll be with the same two lovelies I did Disney with. Thirteen miles fly with them, and suddenly I don't care whether or not I PR, or whether or not I'm hitting a negative split. I'm really excited, because it will be my second Rock 'n' Roll this year (and ever...haha) so I get some heavy medal (teehee!). </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjja6IcizoKJpKxjO1p2q6oeI3eQdQhsYFnExSg9RCXKkaxAc4gZKQHCW4d1QdTObBTn0prfMFme7_rnZiO7ber_nTD41foexfK0qCkVQG2mnCHgQUsDHBdcQ9F7Z-Q_aU7gU5JVdyJQp8q/s1600/39-3_medal_lrg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjja6IcizoKJpKxjO1p2q6oeI3eQdQhsYFnExSg9RCXKkaxAc4gZKQHCW4d1QdTObBTn0prfMFme7_rnZiO7ber_nTD41foexfK0qCkVQG2mnCHgQUsDHBdcQ9F7Z-Q_aU7gU5JVdyJQp8q/s320/39-3_medal_lrg.jpg" width="287" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hey there, <a href="http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/heavy-medals/combinations">sexy...</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I originally started this blog post about something totally different, but hey, no surprise, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-large;">running takes over<3</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12815485108401837743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733636894574941245.post-10031259334711237412010-09-22T22:01:00.000-07:002010-09-22T22:01:29.044-07:00Aversions and Water(melon) Babies<div style="text-align: center;">All right, when watermelons go out of season I think I'm going to lock myself in my room and cry for a few days! I can seriously eat half a watermelon at a time, and sometimes, that's all I want to eat. Which leads me to think about aversions. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Are there any foods that just make you cringe? I'm not talking about lifetime aversions, but foods that you've had as a regular part of your diet and now just can't stand?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">Well, it's been like that for me alllll summer. For some reason, I couldn't handle most things that weren't raw, and while it's true that I LOVE the raw diet, I usually go about 60-40 % raw to non-raw. I will eat fish though, easily. And I live on sushi when I can, even if the rice isn't raw. But lately I've had a serious inability to eat bananas and eggs. No clue why, I just can't bear to really consider them. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">This happens to me a lot I guess, but it's just a bizarre thing. And lately eating dairy has been a chore, except cheese. I can't give up cheese :]]] I did buy some Nooch at WHOLE PAYCHECK (thank you, <a href="http://www.fitnessista.com/">Fitnessista</a>). Whole Paycheck is the bane of my existence, I also got my hands on some vanilla stevia, GUAR GUM (sooo hard to find this summer!), Pamela's gluten free flour, and my new lover...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLb5Y-MJ_h_qfbVtcDK3ENEZUNzX1mHejsINAwQd8fqwceVe8yDRbW6TwdEeCtTNi6Mgw1lrq9Uw629SydHVWKM96esVJsAuz3qQ8MSfPsMIO5BAlr_xW_DGdVbDo3c6qxqjjavVY2i7I/s1600/artisana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLb5Y-MJ_h_qfbVtcDK3ENEZUNzX1mHejsINAwQd8fqwceVe8yDRbW6TwdEeCtTNi6Mgw1lrq9Uw629SydHVWKM96esVJsAuz3qQ8MSfPsMIO5BAlr_xW_DGdVbDo3c6qxqjjavVY2i7I/s320/artisana.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">oh hayyy baby ;]</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(& <a href="http://www.shoporganic.com/product/artisana_raw_coconut_butter_8_oz/nut_specialty_butters">Source!</a>)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But back to my other baby. The watermelon. Through all my aversions and pretended gagging, I've become quite the watermelon myself. I eat it for breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, not dinner because by then I'm okay for dairy, and EVERYTHING!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here's the thing about watermelon, comes with quite the belly! And I don't have the bananas to calm it! Oh well, I love my watermelon babies. Seems like I've constantly got a watermelon baby. I should start naming them I suppose. Maybe not. But seriously, it's a perpetual state of watermelon pregnancies. Yummy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">...But the next time I mention babies, it'll be because I constantly swoon over <a href="http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/">CCK's</a> recipes<3</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><i>&& I love you Shaun T. I'm currently a total wimp, but I have serious optimism about improvement! I love the way all the people in the videos are showing REAL effort, with the need to rest, the swearing, and the sweat. Amazing.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12815485108401837743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733636894574941245.post-39267616322812927472010-09-21T23:38:00.000-07:002010-09-21T23:38:43.535-07:00Let me be Phoenix, please.<div style="text-align: center;">Sooo, that was some hiatus right? What was it, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">FIVE MONTHS</span>? Classy, Courtney, classy. Start a blog and then abandon it. But I have some exciting news, so all my nonexistant readers will forgive me righttt? </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-large;">I CAN RUN!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">I want to go around shouting it, singing it, dancing to it! I CAN RUN I CAN RUN I CAN RUNNNN! When I returned to the Bay (BAY AREAAAAA), I went to see the podiatrist. Well, after three different x-rays, she told me that she saw no fracture and that I had to sit out for a month or two. That's it: rest for a month or two. I held back tears in her office and promptly went to see my mom (she works at the same facility, though I won't say where) and collapsed in HER office. Cue tears, hysterics, screaming, etc. I thought my life was over. I seriously sat on the couch for a good two days after that just crying. I mean I had already been out for a good two months and running isn't just my stress release, it's my hobby! I love going home because my old trails are there & I know exactly how to add miles & I occasionally see people I know drive by :] And how insensitive, just tell me to sit on my butt? What about physical therapy? Nope, no referral. I was pretty <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">angry</span></u></span>, let me tell you. Right after the doctor, I went to see my sister's chiropractor. She's a bigshot soccer player, and gets hurt like I used to pre-running days (which I can't even remember!). The chiropractor's husband gave me a tough love speech, which said get in the pool NOW because sometimes you have to do what you don't want to do until you recover. He said I needed cardio, because I had to be going CRAZY. Then his wife set me up with ultrasound technology right on my sesamoid bone, muscle stimulation therapy (my toes DANCE, I'll try to put up a video), and deep heat. She also did some adjustment.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Well, I went to see her for a while, and I really think she helped relieve the inflammation/irritation. I meant to get in the pool and swim a lot, but I really only had time to go twice, as I worked from around 7:30 to around 6 every day! Love my job :] I went to the gym just to lift more often than that of course.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Here's the greatest part: I mastered <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">balance ball pushups to jacknives!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"> I felt strong again, like an athlete again :] </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Two weeks before the Disneyland Half Marathon, I started running again. Let me tell you, I am OUT OF SHAPE! I mean, I had to sit for four months! Hardest 5k of my life, that first one. No joke. But I did it. And I'm still at the 5k level, which KILLS me, because I'm through and through a distance runner. So it's rather demoralizing to know that I have to start all over again, but I will! The Disneyland Half Marathon, which I did NOT have time to really train for, was a total blast! Ran a bit, walked most of it, but I was with two of my friends who didn't train fully! We sang Disney songs and came in at around 3:26.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Welllll, my PR from La Jolla (including crazy hills and horrid injury) was a 2:16, so I didn't quiiiite beat that this time. But it was amazing! So much better, and such a lovely race! Helped that my mom, sister, sister's bf, and my bgf (best guy friend) were there at the finish line! At La Jolla, I was totally alone...It's funny though, every time I do a half I think, well that was fun, but I love fulls so much more!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">So this summer involved a lot of summer camp, weights, breakthroughs, and even a return to yoga at the very end! LOVEEE. And not to mention, I split a pair of my running shorts, that used to be soccer shorts & that I've had for six years, down the center while working with my speed trainer. My mom called him the minute I came into her office in hysterics and said PLEASE HELP! So I had three amazing, can't walk for four days sessions with him, thank you mom, I love you so much!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Wow, what a long explanation of my hiatus & summer! I guess as long as I wasn't running, I couldn't bear to blog. But now I'm back. With yoga...</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">So call me a phoenix. Those were some pretty rank ashes, some pretty dark, teary days. But I rose up! Now there's some possible scartissue but I can handle that...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">&&Lastly, I started INSANITY finally :] FINALLY. Day 2 done, ouch. Marry me please, Shaun T!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12815485108401837743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733636894574941245.post-3983619062394385112010-06-09T19:49:00.000-07:002010-06-09T19:49:21.887-07:00Blue-bee-bears!<div style="text-align: center;">Finals week is almost over! Just one more final, tomorrow, and I'm free for summer! I really do love the quarter system, even with the three sets of finals...</div><div style="text-align: center;">So I was REALLYYY sunburned from job training (summer camp!) this past weekend, so it's been a stretch to even sleep on my back, let alone throw a sports bra on! Today was the first day that I've been able to, so I got my booty to the gym!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Started with weights:</span> 12 lb. dumbells for lat. raises, serving trays, bicep curls...the usual routine.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Then on to the elliptical. Now, I cry around 3-5 times a week over my stupid injury, because taking running from me is like taking life from me. YES, I am that dramatic. So today I taped around my foot, hoping it would help (a little...) and printed out the Fitnessista's <a href="http://fitnessista.com/2008/12/i%E2%80%99ve-got-my-baking-pants-on/">Boredom Buster</a> elliptical workout. <b>THANK YOU FITNESSISTA, I NEARLY DIED</b>. It was amazing! I've never felt so good from an elliptical workout before! After that, I did a bit of legwork with weighted machines (I don't normally do those, but I was in the mood I guess-I usually use my own body weight). Then 20 minutes on the recumbent bike, as my foot had started to twinge at the end of the elliptical cooldown. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Headed over to the balance balls and did a few reps of the ab roller & about 13 balance ball jackknives. I WILL get better at them, I swear!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">So I took the plunge...I ORDERED </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">INSANITY</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">! I'm totally stoked, when my foot heals I'm going to sweat my way through Shaun T's brutality. Loveee.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Nourishment today...well half a pot of weak coffee, a BUNCH of green tea, and a small protein shake, or drink, because it was RIDICULOUSLY thin, made from 1 scoop Designer Whey Vanilla, a small banana, around a cup of ice, and maybe 3/4 to a cup of skim milk. Very nice :]</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Post workout:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitCd848ye8JX89f-z16EZGz5dqVONfP9nFGNkk6qG9GCeZPLeKspAe2AZao01IHU1jYw1KqFFfa7mUxp3nXHsxyaAgufUcM63qdNFgcepHARjG8FbFFU6MUGRZ9cj73jUEvehkQxLxI8PS/s1600/DSC05723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitCd848ye8JX89f-z16EZGz5dqVONfP9nFGNkk6qG9GCeZPLeKspAe2AZao01IHU1jYw1KqFFfa7mUxp3nXHsxyaAgufUcM63qdNFgcepHARjG8FbFFU6MUGRZ9cj73jUEvehkQxLxI8PS/s320/DSC05723.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In the words of the Fitnessista herself, GLORIOUS!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1.5 liters of water (which I'm still working on), a container of blueberries (goodbye portion control), and an almond & cashew KIND bar. Bars are relatively infrequent, especially after I realized that both CLIF and LUNA have gluten...explains how I felt when I used to eat them as meal replacements. And I ran out of my stock of mini LARABARS from the JDRF walk fall quarter. But this was a treat :]</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Oh & to clarify the title, my sister, who is now 234239832x cooler than me, and a few inches taller despite being four years younger, used to say the cutest things! Now she's too cool to be a dork with me...usually :]</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But she used to call cigarettes "smokers," and when she wanted to be carried, she'd say "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">carrot </span>me up." Very direct, to the point. They should have let her write the dictionary...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Anyway, she was always the blueberry fan, it was a texture thing for me. Crazy, now I'm addicted. Somehow in her genius brain she mixed up the syllabic sounds and instead of saying "Blue-berr-ee" said "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Blue-bee-bear</span>." Freaking adorable. Oh and strawberries were "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Straw-bee-bear</span>." Love her<3</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Off to shower and study for my last final of sophomore year! Goodbye half of undergrad, wow.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12815485108401837743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733636894574941245.post-15469744402553454132010-06-02T16:24:00.000-07:002010-06-02T16:27:57.272-07:00Happy National Running Day!<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Yes, it's National Running Day!</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">(aka Courtney wants to smack someone because she's still injured :[)</div><div style="text-align: center;">Anyway, this week has been somewhat hectic, but I managed to get two beach runs in over the three day weekend! <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Ten sets of 1x5 minutes (walkingxrunning)</span></span>. It feels SO good to be running again, my body just knows it and loves it! It's almost a blow to my pride to be running such low mileage, but the interval is there to keep me from getting bored going back and forth, and the sand makes it harder anyway. No pain at least...But since it's barefoot, I have to be careful because my feet get roughed up pretty nastily. In all honesty, I'm a little scared of trying to put on running shoes, because even my XT shoes hurt sometimes. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So today was my first day at the gym all week, because Saturday & Monday were beach days, and Sunday was a lazy-Courtney-has-bad-habits-and-will-feel-disgusting-tomorrow day, and on Tuesday I had a ten page research paper due for one of my general education classes (six quarters of it one lecture from being DONE!). I should have started it wayyy before Monday night, but since the course requires a prospectus to be turned in week six, I had a good start and copied & pasted much of the structure. From there I just filled it in! My topic was women & family in the Third Reich. Heavy, I know, but I wanted to approach Germany during Hitler's years from an angle I didn't know much about. Well, I finished that at four in the morning, which is TOTALLY not the way I do things, I swear.<i> </i><b>I need to be in bed by midnight at the latest, and I LOVELOVELOVE days when I crash at ten</b><i>.</i> I'm a failure of a college kid. Just kidding!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So after turning in the paper, I pretty much slept all day, and didn't make it to work out :[ I HATE rest days, even if I know I need them. This morning I was up for my usual 7:30 gym sesh, which I nearly fell asleep through anyway (thank you sleepytime tea, really). Around ten minutes of lifting 12 lb. weights (heavy for me, but I wasn't getting results with 10 lbs.): side arm raises (lat raises?), bicep curls, serving trays (from Seventeen Magazine, love their small tips!), and a few other moves that are a part of my normal routine. I do about 20 reps of each, and I know I should tweak it, but in the early morning before classes, this routine works! Then hopped on the elliptical for 28 minutes of intervals, followed by an extra 2 minutes to round it out & a 5 minute cooldown. I was studying for my Latin quiz at the same time, while trying not to drool over <b>Supernatural</b>, which was on TV. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Jensen Ackles=LOVE!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://imstars.aufeminin.com/stars/fan/jensen-ackles/jensen-ackles-20071112-337119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://imstars.aufeminin.com/stars/fan/jensen-ackles/jensen-ackles-20071112-337119.jpg" width="233" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(Feast your <a href="http://imstars.aufeminin.com/stars/fan/jensen-ackles/jensen-ackles-20071112-337119.jpg">eyes!</a>)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Aww yeahhhh. Jensen Ackles, marry me! In a non-stalkery way. Or at least let me work out with you! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hopped on the recumbent bike for what was supposed to be 25 minutes, but my foot/injury twinged so I cut it to 20. Not fun. Came back & made a protein shake for breakfast/lunch with a bowl of pineapple, a LOT of mango, 1 scoop Designer Whey, a bit of vanilla extract, and a glass of milk. It was 1%, WAYYY too rich for me but once in a while I can deal. It wasn't my favorite, but fruit servings + protein...works for me!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And lots of pushups.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So off to Latin, hello release from world! Then back for a 30-minute pilates DVD & the rest of my shake. Nothing like a final the week before finals week to add a bit of stress :/.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So I had a bit of a meltdown. I've been dealing with this foot pain for over a month, in fact, I ran the La Jolla Hlaf Marathon with it, and no, it did NOT numb out. Thirteen miles of burning, shooting, horrendous pain. Lovely. Every so often I feel like I've reached my breaking point with it: I miss running! It keeps me sane, focused, and reduces a LOT of anxiety. Not to mention the double-cut quads I used to rock! There were a few tears, unfortunately, because not only am I off running, but the pain can be triggered by a lot of other things as well. No Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, no plyometrics, and the bike and elliptical are left up to fate. So very frustrated. I'm okay now, with the promise of physical therapy once I get home. Maybe looking at pictures of this gorgeous specimen will cheer me up:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRhljHzj9diYmQlAmVRYIAvGS_vMLO2ZRMP8spX1Rl2HWgePtaWmp4iDaK_ome0XBXNm7cyklKM8SfmrtA851qI1IdRZ1uBzdUz88LtpFiUw4bbF1WrrGUYymGnGrbmZqYAGpzNU23Mmc/s1600/jensen-ackles-a484d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRhljHzj9diYmQlAmVRYIAvGS_vMLO2ZRMP8spX1Rl2HWgePtaWmp4iDaK_ome0XBXNm7cyklKM8SfmrtA851qI1IdRZ1uBzdUz88LtpFiUw4bbF1WrrGUYymGnGrbmZqYAGpzNU23Mmc/s320/jensen-ackles-a484d.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(More <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRhljHzj9diYmQlAmVRYIAvGS_vMLO2ZRMP8spX1Rl2HWgePtaWmp4iDaK_ome0XBXNm7cyklKM8SfmrtA851qI1IdRZ1uBzdUz88LtpFiUw4bbF1WrrGUYymGnGrbmZqYAGpzNU23Mmc/s1600/jensen-ackles-a484d.jpg">feasting!</a>)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hi, I know we don't know each other, but I currently love you. Ahh.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12815485108401837743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733636894574941245.post-23434879115851158012010-05-27T02:09:00.000-07:002010-05-27T16:32:18.766-07:00Fudge with Lindsay!<div style="text-align: center;">My friend Lindsay is in town for a few days, and we have been experimenting in the kitchen like crazy! So far, we've made macaroons and black bean dip. Neither of which looked spectacular, so no pictures, but they tasted AMAZING! Tonight we thought it would be a good idea to try out raw, or at least semi-raw semi-vegan recipes. And we found...FUDGE! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">We found the recipe <a href="http://www.wasabimon.com/archive/perfect-raw-chocolate-fudge/">here!</a> Thank you, Wasabimon! So cute, I love gluten-free blogs :]</div><div style="text-align: center;">We made some tweaks, so the recipe is as follows:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma, 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">1/2 C Coconut oil (we melted it in the microwave for about 30 seconds)<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />1/2 C Cacao powder (We used Trader Joe's Cocoa Powder)<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />1/2 C Maple syrup (Grade A!)<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />1 tsp Vanilla extract (definitely doubled. Or tripled. Vanilla extract is amazing!)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma, 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"></span><s><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">1/2 C Chopped almonds</span></s></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma, 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Generous shake of cinnamon, of course!</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma, 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">We didn't have almonds, so instead stirred in about 3/4 of a cup (whatever suits your tastes!) of Justin's Maple Almond Butter...ohmygoshyum!</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjug9aY7tQ5Nz4jbCuRD3xDYXDyE7zA6WBOSbovRvHLDWv_wfSBGUb7hIV5oG5gX5mTiWHJv_xQlRUCfwpdGMB8iKtHHy_dnWjLFJ4Iwo7W4lO8E75gUBhAd00kc3AEQ752rvIAyCoyv48M/s1600/31hEQ2CDuxL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjug9aY7tQ5Nz4jbCuRD3xDYXDyE7zA6WBOSbovRvHLDWv_wfSBGUb7hIV5oG5gX5mTiWHJv_xQlRUCfwpdGMB8iKtHHy_dnWjLFJ4Iwo7W4lO8E75gUBhAd00kc3AEQ752rvIAyCoyv48M/s320/31hEQ2CDuxL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(Picture <a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31hEQ2CDuxL._SL500_AA300_.jpg">Here</a>)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="text-align: center;">Melt the coconut butter, stir the wet ingredients in with the dry, and mix! We then softened some almond butter and swirled it in, along with some of the leftover macaroon pieces that I just randomly threw in.</div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="text-align: center;">SO. GOOD.</div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="text-align: center;">It began to solidify as the coconut butter cooled, and then the addition of warm almond butter melted it all over again! We almost couldn't wait to let it cool, but we poured it into an ice cube tray and put it in the freezer to set. Result: Fudge that tasted strongly of cocoa, but with maple, and melted in our mouths!</div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="text-align: center;">Okay, I absolutely had to post that recipe, but now back to a paper due tomorrow (today, oh no!)...</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #111111; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12815485108401837743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733636894574941245.post-22007149880645982872010-05-24T20:52:00.000-07:002010-05-24T20:58:34.610-07:00My Usual Protein Shake!As of now, I am fine with dairy, so I use milk and whey protein in my shakes.<br />
<br />
Standard Base:<br />
<br />
1 Scoop Designer Whey All Natural French Vanilla protein powder<br />
<br />
~ a cup of nonfat milk, maybe more. I use a full glass ( I guess you could use water, I'm not sure about almond milk or soymilk, it may not blend in?)<br />
<br />
1 banana, usually frozen ( I use a full banana)<br />
<br />
cinnamon: this is occasional, but if I put it in, I use a very generous shake!<br />
<br />
occasional splash of vanilla extract, if necessary<br />
<br />
Usual add-in:<br />
<br />
~ 1.5-2 cups frozen mango<br />
<br />
I've added spinach before, but I would recommend having a higher-power blender, as I got a few millimeter-sized bits!<br />
<br />
Fresh strawberries work well too, but I haven't found a blueberry version I'm satisfied with. Looks like another visit to <a href="http://fitnessista.com/the-fitnessista-cookbook/vegetarian-and-vegan/smoothies/">Show me Your Smoothie!</a><br />
<br />
Seems caloric, but I usually drink this over the course of 3-4 hours for lunch! Keeps me full and the potassium in the banana keeps the belly bloat down! <br />
<br />
-Courtney :]Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12815485108401837743noreply@blogger.com0