Author / Bethe

by Bethe

Finally, school pays off

I found out late last week that the research paper I have worked so hard on this semester was accepted to a conference in Miami. In mid-March, my professor and I will go present our research to a bunch of public relations academics and professionals. And we’re competing for “top paper” with some other folks… at times I can be a bit competitive, and this one has a CASH PRIZE, which means I would really, REALLY like to win. When you start talking monetary rewards, research seems to become a bit more interesting.

I could tell you what it’s about, but the title alone is about 50 words long and would put you straight to sleep. Basically, it’s about how intranets can provide employees with “voice” in a large organization. I have enjoyed learning about intranets and creating one of my own, but my 25 pages of literature review, descriptions and stats might just put you to sleep. Hopefully it won’t put the conference attendees to sleep. I guess either way, I get a trip to Miami out of the deal.

by Bethe

Put on some clothes

Dear topless girl at my gym,

Please be considerate of those of us who might be a bit more modest than you, and PUT ON SOME CLOTHES. There’s a reason God invented bathroom stalls… if you need to change clothes, it’s a good idea not to do it out in the open part of the girls’ locker room. When I walk by for a quick bathroom break between the treadmill and the weights, I don’t want to have to see you in all your glory. So please, PLEASE, just put on some clothes and give the rest of us (me) a break.

Back when I was training for the half marathon, I didn’t have to deal with folks not wearing clothes. This is what I get for going to the gym. Maybe I should just stay home and eat my ice cream in peace.

Thank you,
Concerned Gym Member

by Bethe

Weekend Wrap-Up

I’ve had such a good weekend. Friday night I got a pedicure with my sister and another friend, and then the three of us, plus one more, met up for a quiet dinner. It was so nice… just laid back, lot’s of laughing, comfortable shoes… I love nights like that. The pedicure place used a chocolate exfoliator thing on my legs… you haven’t lived until you’ve had a stranger rub chocolate on your legs as you sit in a massage chair sipping a cappuccino. Hmmm… that sounds a bit racier than it really was. After the pedicure, I felt like a new woman. A new woman with dark purple toenails… again. The edginess is back. And maybe here to stay.

Then Saturday I spent the whole day cooking and cleaning to prepare for a shower I hosted tonight for sister Lindsay (the one getting married). I absolutely love the preparation that goes into throwing a party. I like the cleaning up afterward part a lot less. Saturday night I turned my iPod on “shuffle” (yes, the iPod magically works again), and cooked for hours. I cooked for the party, and also made Christmas goodies for some of my favorite coworkers. Since they put up with me for another year (almost five, actually), I figure they deserve some baked goods.

I did such a good job of preparing yesterday that today I was able to sneak in a quick nap after church. A nap on a party day is so very rare, and it was just the thing I needed to keep me going through the party. The party went fantastically well, many of my sister’s bridesmaids, old roommates, and friends from childhood came by, along with some of her new family members. It’s weird to see that my sister is going to have NEW family members… new sisters-in-law. Part of me finds the whole situation a bit strange, but I’m thankful that these new family members seem to be strong Christian women who treat her well, so I guess it’s okay to share her a little.

So it was a good weekend. I got to spend quality time with friends and family, got rubbed down with chocolate, danced in my kitchen and ate large quantities of cake. Yes, it was a very good weekend.

by Bethe

Half Marathon Re-Cap

Okay, I had promised a re-cap on the White Rock Half Marathon. Here goes…

The race was one of those really cool moments in my life… I worked so hard, for so many months to be able to do this. I’m not a runner. I never will be. I have asthma, I’m not a super athlete, I tend to be a bit lazy, and I’m very, very busy. So the fact that I did this without giving up was kind of unexpected.
I ran it with three friends from church. I couldn’t have done it without the camaraderie that went along with running with friends. Otherwise I would have quit after a few weeks. They made it fun.
Here’s a play-by-play of the race, for the two people who might care…
1. The night before, we went for high-carb pizza, and then an emergency trip to pick out a running outfit for Sara. Luckily, we found success quickly and made it home in time for a good night’s sleep.
2. I woke up at 4:45 a.m. on Sunday and rode with my friends to Dallas. Sara and I had debated about wearing make-up for the race… it seems so vain, but we knew we were going to se a bunch of people out there, and we didn’t want to look like death. So I ran my race with a tiny bit of mascara, eye liner, and concealer. I’m sure it all sweat off after mile 2. But what can I say, I’m a girl.
3. About five minutes before the race began, I realized my iPod, filled with my super-awesome running playlist, had frozen. It wouldn’t work. In a panic, I called Sister Lindsay who lives in Dallas and asked her to meet me at mile 6 with her iPod. I think I may have to sue Apple. And I think I’m going to need to get Lindsay a nicer Christmas gift for saving my life with a new iPod to distract me from the pain I was feeling. She rocks.
4. Speaking of pain… I felt a lot of it at mile 5. It was pretty hot and there wasn’t much water on the course, and I got a stomach cramp…. one of those that feel like a knife twisting in your side. It was so bad at one point that I either wanted to throw up or curl to the fetal position. But at that point there was nothing to do but keep plugging along. The cramp lasted about 1.5 miles and really slowed my time down. But that’s okay… sometimes those things happen. And it went away before mile 7.
5. I felt absolutely fantastic for miles 1-4, and then again for miles 7-10. Around the tenth mile I started to feel like I might throw up. It’s not really very fun to run while half expecting you might hurl at any given moment. So I had to do some more walk/run for awhile.
6. I think around mile 12 is when I wanted to die the most. Isn’t running fun?
7. And then, after 13.1 miles, I crossed the finish line. That part was fantastic. It meant I could stop… no more running, no more wanting to throw up, no more stomach cramps… they loaded me up with a finisher’s medal, a t-shirt, a cup of water (yes!), and I was instantly a much happier girl.
My time was a lot slower than I had wanted it. I basically ran about a minute a mile slower than had been my goal… but that’s okay. I finished. And even though for a good part of that race I was in extreme pain and wanted Jesus to come down out of heaven and rapture me so I could leave the miserable run behind, I still have really good memories of the day. I got to run with 17,000 other runners, while 150,000 spectators cheered me on for 13.1 miles. And I got to do it with friends. While wearing mascara.
On Sunday, after the race, I thought I might never want to run again. Today, just three days later, I’m seriously considering doing this whole thing again. Only faster.



 


By the way… I’m not sure why the photo spacing is so whacky… so you’ll just have to ignore that. I couldn’t post captions… but wanted to explain the first photo with the old guy. That’s Larry, who has the Guinness World Record for most marathons in one year… this was his 105th marathon in 2008. Not only that, but he has run a marathon in all 50 states. I haven’t even been to all 50 states, much less run a marathon in them! So of course, we had to get a picture…

by Bethe

Running in silence

I survived the half marathon. I’m so pleased that all four of us who started training so many months ago ran the race together. Well, actually, we started together, but my friends finished a little ahead of me. And that’s okay, because it meant I got to cheer them on from behind!

I’ll post more on the race later, but for now, I’m so glad that I’m done with all this training. No more late night runs, no more 6 a.m. Saturday runs (I know… crazy, huh?) and no more calling 8 miles a “short” run. I get to go back to the normal world where I’m satisfied if I run 30 minutes on a treadmill once or twice a week. Probably once a week. If that.
Now it’s time for these sore legs of mine to crawl into bed and take a nice, long nap. Ahhh… there’s nothing like a good rest after a big accomplishment.
One more thing I can cross off my list of life goals. Half Marathon… check.
by Bethe

Half Marathon Playlist

Here it is… my half marathon soundtrack. 

Whoot, There It Is – 95 South
Panama – Van Halen
Jump Around – House of Pain
Tootsee Roll (Dance Version) – 69 Boyz
Paper Planes – M.I.A.
Love Lockdown – Kanye West
Deport Them – Sean Paul
Love Story – Taylor Swift (I’m obsessed with this song, so it’s on here more than once)
Baby Got Back – Sir Mix-a-Lot
I’m Too Sexy – Right Said Fraid
Hot N Cold – Katy Perry
Pump Up the Jam – Technotronic
See You Again – Miley Cyrus
When I Grow Up – The Pussycat Dolls
Picture to Burn – Taylor Swift
Mama Said Knock You Out – LL Cool J
Enter Sandman – Metallica
Whatta Man – En Vogue
Singe Ladies (Put a Ring On it) – Beyonce
Funky Cold Medina – Tone Loc
All That She Wants – Ace of Base
Womanizer – Britney Spears
Move This – Technotronic
Love Story – Taylor Swift
Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice
Crazy Train – Ozzy Osbourne
California Love – 2Pac
Barbie Doll – Jack Ingram
Here Comes the Hotstepper – Ini Kamoze
Mood Rings – Relient k
Give a Little Love – The Judds
Sadie Hawkins Dance – Relient k
Butterfly – Crazy Town
Temperature – Sean Paul
7 Things – Miley Cyrus
Just a Lil Bit – 50 Cent
Love Don’t Live Here – Lady Antebellum
Oops! I Did It Again – Britney Spears
Red High Heels – Kellie Pickler
Son’s Gonna Rise – Citizen Cope & Santana
Paper Planes – M.I.A.
Love Lockdown – Kanye West
Baby Got Back – Sir Mix-a-Lot
I’m Too Sexy – Right Said Fred
Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice
by Bethe

Perfect fit

I always have to have the perfect outfit for my race. It’s a little tradition I started back with my first marathon relay up in Oklahoma City about four years ago. I may not be good at running, but I want to look good when I run. 

So on Sunday I will be sporting a brand-new pink running outfit… pink from head to toe. I bought it today. It’s sporty and super girly (who would have guessed) and should help me shave off at least a few minutes on Sunday. As those faster runners go zooming past me, they’ll all be thinking, “That girl has on such a cute outfit that I almost didn’t notice how slowly she runs.”
And because the store was running such a good sale, I also got the perfect yoga outfit… a bright green yoga outfit. Because next week, when I retire my running shoes and replace it with my yoga mat, I’ll need something to wear.
by Bethe

Carb load

According to Wikipedia, I am supposed to be practicing “carb load” this week. It’s a tough job, but I’m up for the challenge. That’s why I ate french fries for dinner, made rice krispie treats (dyed green and made to look like Christmas wreaths, yum) for dessert, bought croissants for breakfast tomorrow… this may be the best part of my training program.

I wonder if it’s bad if I decide to extend “Carb Load Week” to “Carb Load Month.” Or maybe 2009 could be “Carb Load Year.” 
Are there carbs in chocolate mousse cake? Because I had some of that today too.
by Bethe

Just the facts, ma’am

A half marathon is 13.1 miles, or 21,097.5 meters.
Half marathon male world record: 58:33. Female world record: 1:06:25.
(By contrast, I hope to run it in about 2:10-2:20, maybe slower).
As of June 30, 2007, Horst Preisler of Germany had successfully completed 1157 full marathons, plus 343 ultramarathons (Mr. Horst is obviously nuts).
Ever wonder how they measure the length of the course? Here’s how.
Only four days to go… Happy Half Marathon Week.