Weekend Recap

Hello there blog world… long time no talk! I have actually had a very busy week. Last weekend I had an awesome trip to Raleigh (more on that is a minute) and have had a busy week in the office. My co-worker went on maternity leave last week, so running the wedding office minus one is busy! So like I said, I visited my sister and her posse in Raleigh over the weekend. As usual, it was an awesome weekend filled with food, wine, exercise and fun! First night had great pizza and vino while catching up. The next day was spent with running errands, and dilly-dallying around until we went to a restaurant that we had been anticipating all week… a Noodle and Dumpling Bar! Holy moly! I had been thinking about this meal all week… I looked over the menu determined what I would get and was so excited. Then we arrive to find the noodles weren’t handmade and they didn’t have vegetarian dumplings! WHAT! Talk about a letdown! In the end, I got some great Italian style dumplings (yes, my taste buds were so confused) and some lo mien. The place was decent, but nothing amazing. Then after a few more drinks with their Raleigh peeps, we called it a night because Jen and I had a run/ride in the morning.

So, the sister is training for like a million different races and triathlons, so Sunday was going to be her running day. Perfect, I brought my mountain bike so I could ride while she ran… and then after her run I would get my little 20 minutes jog in. Well about half way into the run/ride, my tummy started to growl… that little English muffin was long gone! So my tactic was to begin to try and make my sister forget that I was supposed to do a run too. The plan was to start taking about the food we were going to eat and what we were going to do after the run, in attempts to make her forgot. If we happened to forget about my run, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. So I tried to fill her head with Bojangles, Whole Foods, Skinny Dip, Trader Joes, oh my! Well darn if she didn’t forget my run… after she just ran for 2 hours! Damn. So I buck it up and we set out for my little walk/run. I am hesitant to call it a run because I am sure if the sister stopped running with me she would be walking as fast I as I “run”.

Well the first couple sets of running were fine and then my body started to revolt… the stomach was growling and rejecting the popcorn I just ate to hold me over, my legs were pissed because they just pedaled my ass for 2 hours, and the rest of my body was just angry at me. So needless to say, I was struggling! The tomato face was in full effect and the lungs were gasping for air. But I could not stop or complain because the sister just ran for freak 2 hours with no problem! A main reason I wanted to run with her was so she could help me with my running form. Well she gave me one look and said looked like I was running fine which I snapped back Well why do my shins still hurt!?!?!?! Opps, running doesn’t put me in a good mood, yet, sorry. So after a few pointers, my shins don’t hurt and I am actually moving faster (More on the running improvements later) Bless her heart she tried to distract me by talking about our costumes for the 10k… but I just wasn’t having it. Had to conserve the air for my lungs… no talking! Oy vey, how am I going to run a 10k in two months! Well, I ended up finishing the run in once piece and after owning a Bojangles biscuit and Gatorade, I was feeling much better. I know I have a long way to go… but gotta start somewhere right?

The weekend ended with some great grilling and relaxing and I left in the morning. I can't wait til I go back because Raleigh is way cooler than this place with way cooler people in it. So planning a little trip in October for an organized bike ride… so the countdown begins!

Oh how far I've come...

This past weekend my butt was glued to the seat of my new bike! Saturday I went on a short 16 miler at the Dismal Swamp, just to get the feeling of the road bike and try to get used to the new position on the bike. The next day I set out to do another short ride, but ended up doing 30 miles! And I have to say I felt amazing after the ride! It is so amazing to think about how far I have come this year as far as my fitness goes. Back in April, I did my first organized bike ride in Elizabeth City of 33 miles. While I managed to finish it… I was definitely struggling towards the end (like the last 10 miles!) and took a big ole nap after I finished the race.

During the Elizabeth City Race... don't let the smile fool you... I was tired!

Fast forward to this weekend, I finished 30 miles no sweat! (Well a lot of sweat, but you know what I mean)

Feeling good after my 30 miles this weekend!

Now I am sure the new road bike helps, but I also have to think about how far I’ve come in these past 5 months. I have managed to lose 20+ pounds, which surely helps to lighten the load! I can now ride for 30 miles at a steady speed without wanting to die after. I never could imagine I’d be where I am today earlier this year. Back in January/February, I was at a pretty low point personally, emotional, and physically I was the heaviest I have ever been in my life. I knew there could be only one way to go… and that was up. It is amazing how sometimes it takes getting to the bottom in order to work your way back up. I have found new inspiration through my family and have managed to turn my life around to the positive. I am now having so much fun riding and running… something I would have never imagined months ago. All I know is I have come a long way in these past 8 months and I can only imagine how things will be a year from now.

Diversifying my posts...

Well my mom told me the other day I need to diversify my blog posts in order to appeal to all of my readers. All two of my readers. So this one is for you mom!

I wrapped up the semester this weekend and I do have to say I ended up having a very good summer session. I was taking a pretty hard class this semester...Child Theory... it was so hard I actually almost cried during the first week of this class, eck! So I told myself if I could just pull out a B in Child Theory I would consider it a success. Well I didn't get a B...

I ended up getting straight A's again. Woot woot! It was a tough semester with hard subjects and hard professors, but I still worked it out. I am very happy the semester is over with and I have all of one week off before I start my fall semester.

Fall should be interesting, mainly because of the amount of classes I will be taking. I have three grad classes at ODU, one undergrad math class online at a local community college, and one online class at JMU for my gifted ed endorsement..... whew, I am tired just thinking of the amount of work coming up. But they are all interesting classes (yes even the math class... it is math for liberal arts, very cool) so I am actually looking forward to it. Weird. I know.

Three Part Running Post

Part One

I picked up some new running shoes. My old ones were at least two years old… so replacements were long overdue. They were so bad they were causing blisters on my heel pad, they would cut my Achilles heel, and would cause me shins to hurt… yep time for new shoes. Well after three weeks of researching and trying out road bikes, the last thing I wanted to do was spend a lot of time picking out running shoes. So I walked into Running Etc. showed the lady my old shoes, did a little jog for her, she brought out a new pair of the same brand shoe, I tried them on, did a little jog again, and SOLD. Less than five minutes in and out. That was easy!

Now I am ready to get my running training moving now that I have proper shoes. Great investment and I know now not to wait two years before I by my next pair.

Part Two

I have fired my running training partner, Lexi. Well maybe I didn’t fire her, but after a long walk/jog this was her…

I promise she's not dead... just very tired

I took this as her resignation as my training partner. Lexi and I are very much alike… we love to sleep and lay around… so running is not really her thing. She loves to jog at Seashore where it’s shaded and cool, but 3-4 times a week, just isn’t her style. Plus it is just too hot for a little black dog, so she will now be my rest day walking partner with the occasional Seashore run.

Part Three

I am restarting my 10k training plan. I began my running plan a few weeks ago and things were going really well and my endurance was building. Then finals week hit and school just got a bit too busy and my running plan went on the back burner. Plus when I was on the running plan, I didn’t abide by it as strictly as I should. When you are running with a dog like mine, you stop every so often for sniffing and laying down (the dog does that, not me)… that really interrupts the idea of running for 60 or 90 seconds straight. Now that I will be training solo, I will be much more disciplined with my running. I want to do really well for my first race and really want to do more after… so I need to be sure I am as prepared as I can be. So I spent the evening writing out a new plan (on the computer incase a certain dog tries to eat it during my visit to NC this weekend) that starts this week and builds up to the 10k… it combines the couch to 10k plan with a 10k plan and is now the “Get Stephanie Off Her Ass and Running Plan”. We will see how it goes!

New Addition to the Family!

So there is a new addition to the James family...


That's right! I made a decision and brought home the Trek 2.1 wsd today! I am so excited and super happy with my choice. I could hardly sit through work today because I knew I was going to get it as soon as I got off. So I arrive and my main man, Aaron, pulls down the bike to give it a once over before I go home. Then he asks if I want to get water bottle cages and he will install them for me. Well of course! So I start to look at the the cages and was trying to decide between two... one was $7 and the other $10... I was sitting there staring at them, kinda stressing about which one to get. Then I realize I was stressing out over a 3 dollar difference when I about to drop a grand on this bike! Come on! So I got the nice ones, in black since they didn't have purple :)

So my new bike is safely home and in my room for me to stare at all night. Now I just need to decide on a name for it... hmmm. I will take it for its first spin tomorrow at the Dismal Swamp... so excited! Although Lexi looks very curious and a little bit jealous of the new addition to the family...

Road Bike Shopping Part II

The road bike shopping continues! Yes, I am supposed to be studying and grading right now... but shhhh, I'll get to it. The next stop on my shopping journey...


Since Saturday, I have visited Bike Beat three times and they have been super helpful each time. The first time I stopped by it was really on a whim, just to see what they had to offer. One of the guys, Aaron, gave me a great overview of what they had to offer within my price range and sent me home with a Trek catalog to begin my research. Initially my price point was at the very lowest of the entry level bikes, but after some more research... it increased. I definitely learned you get what you pay for. So a few days later, I dropped in just to see what they had in my new price range... and went back home to research more. I have quickly learned bike shopping involves a lot of research! More research than my previously posted Vygotsky essay! So I finally narrowed it down to these two Trek bikes...

The 2.1 wsd and the 1.5 wsd.

And that brings me to today. I went by to see Aaron to give these bikes a whirl. So I went in and he started to fit and measure me. Very scientific and precise! While he inputted my info into the computer, I was almost soothed to sleep with their calming classical music... don't worry I woke up and was ready to ride! Once he adjusted the 2.1 and I gets on the trainer, I start riding (is it sad I worked up a sweat?) Then he makes some more adjustments... mainly on the seat which was super uncomfortable at first! Finally everything was in its place... except my posture... I am a hunchback rider. Maybe that explains why I am always sore in the shoulders after rides. He said that my body posture will change once I start riding on it... so hopefully that will work itself out.

So then I took the bike out on the open road... or around the building. At first I was a bit wobbly and almost ran into my car. Opps! I'm sure he was thinking.. does this girl know how to ride a bike? Get her off that thousand dollar bike! Well, riding a road bike feels quite a bite different than a mountain bike. Once I got myself together I took off around the building. The bike felt really nice and smooth. Tested shifting gears and the brakes... well I tried the brakes out right away when I almost ran into my car. But I really liked it... okay kinda loved it... just one loop around the building and I'm in love... uh oh, I'm in love... that was too easy. I had to get off before I started riding home.

So we went in to talk details and figure out what they have in stock. Well turns out Trek just released their 2011 bikes... which means they won't be able to order anymore 2010 bikes, which is what I have been researching this whole time! Then I find out the one I was test riding was the last one in my size in the 2.1 and the 1.5 isn't even available! Eck!

Well I know I really love this bike and after a lot of research it seems like a solid choice for my first road bike. But I wanted to sleep on it to make sure I am not rushing into anything or buying just because it is the last one available. So Aaron nicely put a hold on the bike for me until tomorrow... so I am going to sleep on this one and think about it all day at work tomorrow and we will see what happens!

Pardon the Interruption

Pardon the interruption, but I will be MIA for the next few days. The semester ends on Saturday which means I am up to my eyeballs in grading for my GA position and studying for finals. I am counting down the days til this weekend when I can R-E-L-A-X. In the mean time, here's an excerpt from a paper I submitted last week. It's a real gem.

Apparently I fell asleep right in the middle of that paragraph... but I still got an A, so I guess it is all good! (The red text is my professor's comment)

Road Bike Shopping Part I

So I began my road bike shopping and researching this week. I have visited three bike shops, but I will begin my journey with the third one I visited.

I got my lovely mountain bike from Conte's and I was extremely happy with the help I received when buying that. I returned because I knew they had a giant selection of bikes. So I go in with my Mom to take a gander at their selection and walked out with a ton of information! We walked in an were instantly greeted by someone and he began to answer some of my questions and gave me lots of information about group rides. He began to show me a couple bikes and then brought on another sales person to continue to help us. The second salesperson began to tell us about the two different bikes, both were Specialized Dolce, one was around $900 and the other was well over $1,000. A touch over my budget, but it was worth looking at. After giving us more information he brought over the fitter, Danny, to get me on the bike to test out. Danny actually sold me my mountain bike, so I knew he would be super helpful. Then the second guy had some parting words for me "Don't ride the expensive bike, you are going to want it if you get on it." In my head, I'm thinking, no worries.. I'll be fine... I know my budget and I am definitely going to stay within it! Well Danny set up the more expensive bike on the trainers for me, only because the cheaper bike was too small for me, so he wanted to make sure he could fit me properly. So he sets the bike up and answers all of my questions along the way. And then I get on the bike. and fell. in. love. Uh oh.

I just did a badddd thing. I test drove the BMW when I am on a Hyundai budget. Of course I am going to want the BMW! It has better parts, looks better and feels so gooood! The only thing the cheaper one has going for it is that it comes in purple.

The whole time Mom just shook her head and said I told you not to get on that bike! (Well she said that after we left the store... I do not remember these objections while I was in the store!). So I ended up leaving so I could research these two bikes and determine if I should go ahead and bite the bullet and get the bike I really want. Walking out of the store I thought... I don't need textbooks this fall... I don't need to eat for the next month... Lexi can get a job... I can make it work.

I still have a many more bikes to test ride and lots of research ahead of me before I make my decision, but I really like the Specialized and it is definitely on the list.

What't more stressful than finals?

Well I am officially making the switch to a road bike. I've had some great rides on my Giant Boulder, but it is time to make the change to a big girl road bike. But now I am quickly learning how stressful it is to figure out my way through all of the options that road bikes have to offer. There are so many questions that are asked of me...

What kind of riding do you want to do? Is this your first road bike? Do you want to do races or just organized rides? Do you plan on doing triathlons? How much do you want to spend?

Agh! This is more stressful than the two finals I have coming up this week. There are so many options and the more bikes I see the more confused I get (and the bigger my budget gets). I have been to three bike shops so far and the guys at the shops that helped me have been uber helpful and have given me lots of information. Once I do more research I will be posting about my final choices and the stories that come along with trying them out, but til then my mind is swirling with thoughts of bikes, tires, carbon, aluminum, brakes, fit, shift, ooo my! I have lots of researching and pondering ahead of me, but hopefully it will all pay off with an awesome new bike!

In a moment of insanity...

So a few weeks ago, after visiting my sister in NC, I became super motivated to get back into riding my bike and working out. Earlier this year, I had the same spurt of motivation and actually managed to lose 20 pounds, but after a few months, I began slacking. It was a mixture of being peak wedding season and school taking priority, but the idea of working out was the last thing on my mind. So after my visit, I was super motivated to get back on track. Well to start off my new found motivation I decided to go on a nice long bike ride. 20 miles later, I was feeling amazing! So, I get home, endorphins pumping, feeling good and I did something I thought I never would do...

I signed up for a 10k!

What?! I have never ever been a runner. I played lots of sports that involved running through high school like field hockey and soccer... but you know what position I played? GOALIE! The one position that rarely ran. And when I did run it was short sprints. My sister was always the long distance runner and I envied her for that, but never had the urge to run. I tried a few times to get into it, but was instantly discouraged and stopped. Well during my visit to NC, I had talked with my sister about signing up for the Wicked 10k where you get to dress up in costume and run a race. How awesome?! Well I don't think she actually thought I would sign up for it. (I didn't think I would either!) And after my amazing bike ride (keyword I was riding a bike, not running) I signed up for the 10k. Then I woke up the next morning and realized... now I have to run a 10k. Uh oh.

So now my journey to becoming a runner has officially begun. I definitely have a new perspective on running... a positive outlook. I think the major difference in my past attempts at running and my present attempt is that I have a goal I am working towards. I have come up with a plan, which combines the Couch to 5k program and another program for a 10k. After a couple weeks of training, things are definitely progressing. Still doing a run/walk combination, but my endurance is definitely picking up. Plus, I have the cutest training partner... no not Zac Efron... Lexi!

Revival of Hoody Hooo

So here we go again. The revival of Hoody Hooo... but this time it is going to stick! I've got lots going on with my life right now, so I actually have interesting things to talk about!

I am in grad school studying elementary education. I work as a graduate assistant. I also work as a wedding sales coordinator at a Botanical Garden. I am training for a 10k. I am back in the dating game. I am absolutely loving cycling. I am a huge sports fan. I love design and pretty things. I love my ECU Pirates. My family and friends are awesome. And I have a crazy dog named Lexi.