Moving Forward ...

I've been back to the hell baby nursery twice now due to a period of slow down in the NICU so I'm guessing that I have no choice but to learn this role. I've been doing some breastfeeding research on the internet (remember, I've NEVER lactacted and no this isn't something that all women just "instinctively" know) and I signed up for a spanish class that starts in January. Even if I don't end up staying in Colorado, it will be helpful to be able to mutter at least a few words of Spanish (so there John!!). So perhaps by the end of this assignment I will be a confident well baby nurse and friend to all new mothers .... or maybe not.

I also realized that it has been a long time since I mentioned anything fitness minded which is likely due to the fact that I've become the epitome of sloth in the past few months. I know that I have a hard time with motivation so it's time to set some preliminary goals to get me going.

• 1. Train and complete an early spring half -marathon
• If I get in the lottery, I'm planning the Moab Canyonlands Half
• If that fails, the Virginia Beach Shamrock Sportsfest Half
• 2. Assemble the bike trainer that I purchased and actually get on the thing at least twice a week (remember, I'm not trying to work miracles ... yet)
• 3. Look around for a place to swim so that I can get back in the pool after the first of the year
• 4. Start thinking of summer races - I'm thinking two Sprint distances and *gulp* going Olympic distance late in the summer

finally, #5. Stay POSITIVE and seize the moment!!!

Jenn No Hablo Espanol

Last night at work I was floated to the well baby nursery (also known as the "Hell" baby nursery for us NICU nurses). I had to float a few times when I lived in Columbia so I felt up to the challenge of screaming babies, nervous parents and breastfeeding. When I walked into the unit, however, the first thing they asked was "do you speak Spanish?" It was at that point that I knew I was in for an interesting evening.

Many people aren't aware of the huge Hispanic population in Colorado. According to wikipidia (the source for all interesting facts on the web), 19% of Coloradoans speak Spanish. This makes Colorado #6 on the list of states with the greatest percentage of Spanish speakers (behind NM, CA, TX, AZ and NV respectively). I knew there were a lot of Spanish speakers in Colorado, specifically in Denver, but this was the first time as a nurse that I had to confront it head on.

My answer, was "Nope, I don't speak a word." which isn't true because I can say Hola and Buenos Dias and Me llamo Jenn, but in the world of nursing this isn't going to help me a lot with asking about how well the baby is eating or trying to answer their questions. I took 2 years of Latin in high school - a miserable experience with an ancient nun who hated me- so I've been very unprepared for the reality of our diversifying world and the fact that three of my patients only spoke Spanish.

I managed to make it through the night with the international language of hand gestures, pointing to my boob, the baby then the clock etc. trying to get across "when did the baby last eat" and for the most part it seemed to work. I was very stressed out though and I felt bad for the nice Moms who did make a valiant effort to use the few words that they knew to bridge the gap as well. Today, I signed up for an intensive Spanish class in January because even if I don't stick around here, it would be nice to start learning.

and the Moms who had trouble breastfeeding?? I don't even want to get started on how unprepared and clueless I am on assisting with that issue. By morning I just wanted an intubated, sedated, sick as snot baby so that I could get back to what I know!!

The Best Dog Bed EVER!!

Most of you know that I have two dogs, and if you've ever visited me they've likely jumped on you, licked you and tried to crawl in bed with you. Tosca (my Jack Russell terrier) is the worst about invading your personal space. She feels that it is her right to sleep in the people bed and she also prefers to burrow under the covers and curl up right in the crook of my knees. The only problem with this is that I occasionally like to change position ... you know roll over, move my legs etc ... and Tosca takes this as a personal attack on her slumber. When I roll over and am forced to move her, I'm rewarded with a menacing growl from beneath the covers. But I have FINALLY found the solution!! The burrow bed!!














I found this online at Fun Stuff For Dogs and ordered it after reading the testimonials from people - one specifically mentioning how it got her Jack out of the bed. Tosca immediately climbed into it and has been happily sleeping since :) This is the best money I've EVER spent!!

Living in a Winter Wonderland!

My friend Joanie reminded me last night that I was so behind on my blogging that I was still listed as living in Virginia!! I still have some fun pictures from an adventure or two while there, but I'll have to post those later. Right now, I'm living in snowy Denver, Colorado!!! I had to get out my flannel jammies for cuddling with Oakley on the couch as you can see above:)

I got here a week and a half ago after a four day, 1800 mile journey across 7 states. The little Ford Escort was loaded to the brim and a full load was also bungeed on top, but we made it over the Appalachians, through the pouring rain across Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois, and luckily had sunshine for the (boring) drive across Kansas and the Colorado plains. It was actually really sunny and warm the week of Thanksgiving, but the snow finally came in last night. It's still flurrying out - but it's not too cold and the dogs are loving it!!

I'm working in the NICU at the University of Colorado hospital which is right across the street from my apartment. So far, it's a great place to work and everyone has been very nice and accommodating. I'll be here till the middle of February so hopefully there will be some skiing, riding and snowshoeing in my future!

Here are a few pics out of my window at this exact moment.....

I am a hero ... at least to dogs!

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a dog lover and that there are few people in this world that I love more than my dogs.

Tonight, I was driving down a very busy 4 lane street with a nurse friend on my way to see the movie Borat (which by the way is HYSTERICAL! It is wrong and funny all at the same time) when we came to an intersection and cars were inexplicably were slowing down. I'm wondering "what's the problem?" then I saw a blond cocker spaniel looking scared and trotting through the intersection dragging a flexi-leash. Without a thought, in the middle of the intersection I stopped the car, opened the door and called to it "come here" in my high-pitched dog voice. S/he immediately ran over to us and jumped right up into my lap and then perched his/herself on my friend's lap. Directly ahead was a gas station and we saw some frantic looking people so we immediately pulled in. An older woman came running over and we couldn't get the poor shaking pooch to get out of the car because s/he was determined to stay on Amy-Lyn's lap. One of the gas station workers was also there and both of them were pretty sure that the pooch had been clipped by a car prior to our rescue. The poor woman was a mess - apparently she had stopped into the convenience store to get some milk and tied the dog outside but it had gotten loose and ran into traffic. I could totally relate because this is something I could see either of my dogs doing. The dog didn't have any visible injuries, but she did seem to be favoring one of her back legs. We had the woman jump in our backseat and we drove the both of them home.

I was just so glad that the dog was OK because it was night, a very busy street, and the poor guy was even dragging a leash! It might not have been the smartest thing to do (i.e. stop in the middle of the road) but it was an automatic response. I'm just thankful that the dog came when I called to it and jumped in because it would have scarred me for life had I seen it get run over. So I guess I am a hero .... at least to dogs :)

You call THIS a celebration? The 225th Anniversary of the Battle of Yorktown

Part 2 of my colonial adventure takes me to Yorktown, VA for a weekend "celebration" of the 225th Anniversary of the victory of the Battle of Yorktown. For the benefit of those of you out there (like me) who may not be particularly knowledgeable on the details of the Revolutionary War ... the Battle of Yorktown was the culmination of the war where Washington defeated Cornwallis (the British dude) and the British essentially gave up and said "fine have your own damn country." If you want a much more detailed lesson - find it here or for a site with pretty pictures go here

Every year the town has a Yorktown Day celebration around the time of the anniversary of the battle, but this year they decided to have a big fancy deal due to the 225th anniversary. I checked out the website and it sounded like it would be a cool event so off we went. The event started on Thursday October 19th which is the actual day of the surrender and apparently there was a ceremony with the Governor of Virginia and the Defense Minister of France laying a wreath at the victory memorial and a big parade. I had to work so we made it there for the weekend when there were promises of battle re-enactments, artillery demonstrations, Revolutionary War re-enactor encampments and what I thought would be a fair.

We arrived at the battlefield which is operated by the National Park Service and immediately we saw TONS of people in colonial dress. Apparently just about every Tom, Dick and Harry who likes to dress up and play Continental Army soldier or British Redcoat was there. We walked through an encampment with tents containing everything from woolen cloth to make your uniform, to a display of medical supplies that would have been used in that time frame. Interesting side note, it was fascinating learning about amputation and other battlefield medicine. They were shockingly effective and quick - and the person describing it was actually a trauma nurse who maintained a collection of artifacts.

From the encampment we entered historic Yorktown which has a lot of old homes and buildings with brass plaques outside saying things like, "Tom Smith's House. Tom was really important in the 1780s" We honestly didn't go into any buildings because we were starving and wanting to find the "fair." We made it down to the riverwalk area which had some exhibits from Jamestown including a replica of the Godspeed which was part of the expedition from the 1600s and behind it is a 1700s replica vessel.

There was a stage set up with ridiculously cheesy singers doing an "isn't America great" pop routine with choreography and on the grounds we saw TWO (2) booths of food. One was hotdogs and the other was put on by the local Lions Club and the line to each was RIDICULOUSLY long. So basically they plan this huge event, advertise it on the radio, in magazines and on the web, then have 2 booths of food?? Are you kidding me??? There's more options at Irish Days and that's just a celebration of people in my old hometown of Farmersville, IL (pop 750) who like to drink. In addition to the booths, there are two restaurants along the river and a Ben & Jerry's. We ended up going to a restaurant and waiting 45 minutes for a table because that seemed a better use of time than a 45 minute line for a hot dog.

So after eating, we headed back to the battlefield for an artillery demonstration. It was *supposed* to be the Americans and British volleying back and forth across the main battlefield, but on the side we were watching there was only one cannon (seemed a bit unfair to the poor British). According to the national park service intern standing by us, a lot of cannons were promised but they didn't all show up. So basically we got to hear an occasional boom from the cannons way across the field .... not - very - exciting.

Next up was a music demonstration and this was kindof cool. Two different fife and drum groups marched out and played some songs. If you live in New England or the Mid-Atlantic, lots of the historical towns have such groups. The smaller group in blue were actually a lot better musically and marched well.

Following the music was a battle re-enactment held at dusk to represent a nighttime raid by the British?? (honestly I don't recall the details, it's probably in the detailed websites linked at the beginning). There were several hundred participants and though it was very spread out - I mean it was a battlefield - it was cool seeing the flashes from the muskets as they fired down the line. After a while, there was smoke everywhere and throughout the event, a narrator was talking over a loudspeaker. Luckily it wasn't about "aiming" in these battles, you basically just got in a big line and fired all at once because after a while there was no visibility due to all of the smoke from the muskets. So we watched this battle for a while, then it got darker, and colder so we left.
All in all, the day was a bit disappointing and seemed pretty unorganized. While watching the "artillery" demonstration, a group next to us was complaining because they had come out with their families from the west coast for the event (apparently history buffs) and events were hard to find or just lame. It was interesting talking to the re-enactors and seeing their encampment, and the battle was pretty cool for the first ten minutes ... then got a little boring. I need to admit, however, that there is a Yorktown Victory Center which is a permanent museum that we did not make it to. Perhaps that would have redeemed the experience. If you're in the area, it's still worth a trip to drive the battlefield and see the town which is beautifully situated on the Elizabeth River.

Let's pretend like it's 1780!!

I'm just not a good blogger these days. I don't know what I'm doing with my time but all of a sudden it's been several weeks since I've posted and now there's just too much to tell. So now I've done all this stuff, I haven't posted about any of it and if I'm too detailed you'll get bored and stop reading anyway. So I will try my best to be succinct and distill it down to the barebones.

I have to admit that there's actually a lot to do in the "historic triangle." In addition to the official "Colonial Williamburg" area, there's a Busch Gardens theme park, a water park, a huge outlet mall, the Williamsburg winery as well as the nearby Yorktown and Jamestown sites. I think it wouldn't be a bad little family vacation because there are tons of hotels in Williamsburg and a pancake house on every corner.... Breakfast food - yum! If you're interested in the area check out this link

At first glance you'll think "Colonial Williamsburg" is a rip off because it's pretty expensive - $34 for an adult ticket, but it's actually very cool. This area that's about 4 blocks by 3 blocks has been maintained in an exact colonial style. The buildings, the townspeople, the shops, the streets, the activities are basically an ongoing museum to life in the 1770s and 80s. For example, you walk into the blacksmith shop and actual workers in colonial garb are smithing. They use the same techniques and are making items needed for the "town." You can ask questions and they'll explain what they're doing.


In the wheelwright's shop, the worker explained that he was making a wheel for one of the wagons in town - I mean he was actually making the wheel, with the same tools that would have used in the 1700s, so that the wagons we saw in the town were authentic to the era. These different shops have apprenticeships for new workers and they learn the trade just as they would have in the old days. We also saw a shoe maker, women baking in large stone ovens, the place where the town's gun were kept (most being authentic muskets that are maintained and still fired each year), the church (which still has ongoing weekly services) and a few taverns/pubs. In addition to the buildings, the "townspeople" have daily re-enactments going on in locations throughout the town. For example, the day we were there, the continental army "troops" in Williamsburg were getting ready to march on Yorktown and General Washington was there to inspect them. In another location, a soldier had been acting inappropriately in the tavern and was tarred and feathered, and apparently we missed a slave uprising of some sort.



So it really is pretty cool, even if you know nothing about history. I do recommend paying extra for the Governor's Mansion tour - it was worth it. And if you want to be a complete nerd, you and your family can rent colonial costumes for the day.

If you are going to do the colonial thing, I also HIGHLY recommend eating at one of the restaurants. We did dinner at the King's Arms which is one of the "fancy" places. Yes it was a pricey dinner, but the food was fabulous and the experience was worth it. Everything is candlelight (duh - no electricity back then) the servers will explain the menu and how to eat the food, and there are roaming "townspeople" that will come to the table or play music in the room. Check out the menu here. We had peanut soup, venison pie, and buffalo meatloaf which were all very tasty! Apparently the colonists also liked stiff drinks because every cocktail I ordered seemed to be pure liquor. Imagine slightly drunk Jenn, in heels, walking down a cobblestoned street ....

Other random Williamsburg thoughts ...

1. Go to the Yankee Candle Flagship store!!
It's huge and obnoxious and a must for any candle lover. It's one of the largest candle shops in the world and it also has lots of Christmassey stuff. Just make sure to take your advil because the smells there will give you a headache!

2. Prepare to get lost.
I'm generally a good navigator and my travel companion is in the Navy and can actually navigate in the freakin' ocean, but this area is set up bizarrely and roads are not always well marked.

3. Even in colonial days there were chics that tried to hook up with soldiers ... photographic evidence here


4. Realize that you are seeing a re-enactment and if you're one of those history buffs who demand on accuracy ... just get over it. So if you happen to know that George W. was actually 6' 4" -which was ridiculously tall for that time - and that he towered over all of his officers, you just have to let it go if the pretend George is the same height as everyone else. Of course I'm a history idiot so they could have worn pink bows in their hair and I would have thought "hmm, didn't know the men wore pink bows."

5. They sell american revolution scumbuzzards in Williamsburg.
A "scumbuzzard" refers to those little green plastic army guys that you play with, the ones that back in the late 70s and early 80s came in big plastic bags or tubs. The term was coined by my Uncle B. who has since moved on from this world. My uncles would bring them to family events and we would have scumbuzzard wars - especially fun when there was lots of fireworks to serve as ammo. I got a kick out of seeing these, never seen anything but the boring green kind.

so all in all, Williamsburg is a worthwhile destination, just avoid the colonial cocktails if you're a lightweight.

A visit to Cape Henry

As I mentioned in previous posts, I'm determined to not squander my dwindling time here in tidewater Virginia so today I'll write about my afternoon jaunt to Cape Henry.

Cape Henry is the entry point to the vast Chesapeake Bay and literally 5 minutes down the road from me since I live right off the Bay. It serves as an important piece of history given that it was the landing site in April 1607 of the first British colonists to the states. These were the colonists who went up river and settled at Jamestown - also known by many as the fun filled settlement depicted in Disney's Pocahontas, though I wouldn't bank of its historical accuracy 100%. Apparently they were led by a Captain Newport which now explains the name of the town of Newport News and Christopher Newport University. This stone cross monument is at the same site as a wooden cross initially erected by the settlers almost 400 years ago to commemorate their safe passage.




















Also occurring at this location was an important naval skirmish on September 1781 known as the Battle of the Capes. The victory against the British fleet in this battle prevented them from sending relief troops to General Cornwallis who was in the process of getting a colonial smackdown by Washington and the gang. Shortly thereafter, Cornwallis surrendered and our little country was born. Apparently some French dude, an Admiral deGrasse led the fight ... who knew the French were sailors???

I should mention that Cape Henry is located on the Fort Story Army base so getting to the attractions is sortof like going through airport security. You have to get out of your car, open the hood, trunk and watch as they walk around your car with little mirrors looking for explosives. One of the inspectors mentioned that my engine was dirty .... at which point my traveling companion said "Have you seen the inside?" Let's just say clean cars have never been a priority in my life.

The biggest attractions at Cape Henry are the two lighthouses - the old Cape Henry lighthouse and the "new" one which is still operating. The old light was build in 1792 and was one of the first public works projects funded by the our fledging little US bureaucracy and the project was headed by one Alexander Hamilton (later shot down in a duel with Aaron Burr for all of those history buffs out there). The light served it's purpose for almost 100 years, even after being damaged by the Confederacy during the Civil War. When it started to have structural issues in the masonry, a "new" lighthouse was commissioned and began operation in 1881. The original lighthouse had to be rebuilt after being destroyed by a hurricane in 1957 and for a fee of $4 - which let's face it, is a bit of a rip off - you can climb to the top. Of course, it is being run by a non-profit historical preservation association so I suppose they need to make money somehow. Here are some pictures, including me at the entrance, the metal circular staircase, the view from the top (blurry pictures due to the windows which were a bit steamy that day) and a webpage shot of the actual light since I forgot to get one.





















































The "new" lighthouse from 1881 is still in operation and you can't climb up it. Here are pictures however of the new light, and a shot from the first landing site showing both of the lights.


















While we were there, I also took a few shots of the ocean front and off in the distance you can see commercial vessels waiting to enter the bay. My friend explained to me that the ships have to wait here until it's their turn to enter the bay. A small red boat, known as a pilot boat, comes over and navigates them into the bay via the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel. It explained a lot because when I walk on the bay beach I always see these boats just sitting there and I wondered, "Why aren't they going anywhere?" Apparently they're just waiting for their turn to get into the port of Norfolk or whatever ports farther north they are heading too. I didn't see any big military ships, but apparently this is the same route all of the ones leaving and entering Naval Station Norfolk travel.











So that sums up the sights at Cape Henry, it was a bit anticlimactic after having worked all weekend but still a nice afternoon.

Fast Times in Virginia Beach

I haven't posted much about my temporary home since first getting here, so I thought I'd talk about Virginia Beach a bit. For those of you who haven't been here, the Virginia Beach metro area is the most populated part of Virginia (D.C. metro is larger but consists of two states and the District) and this area is known as Hampton Roads. The towns of Norfolk, Suffolk, Hampton, Newport News, Chesapeake, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach are all kindof blobbed together here, and just a bit north is Williamsburg, Yorktown and other historical touristy type sites. My job is in Norfolk but I live in Virginia Beach right next to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel which crosses the Bay to Delaware. Norfolk is home to the world's largest naval station and is surrounded by the Chesapeake Bay, while Virginia Beach has Bay on one side and Atlantic Ocean on the other. It's the major tourist destination - or I should say tourist trap - for these parts.

Other than the tourism aspect, there is a HUGE military presence in this area. The vast majority of the jobs around here revolve around the many bases scattered through the area. There's the aforementioned Navy station in Norfolk, Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach, a Navy hospital in Portsmouth, Langley Air Force Base up in Hampton, I'm right next to Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base, and there's a small Army outpost Fort Story just down the road from my apartment which is part of the large Fort Eustis in Newport News. I'm sure there are more but those are some of the big ones off the top of my head. Seeing people in camouflage or uniform is a routine occurrence at the gas pump, as is hearing jet noise in VA Beach. When sitting on the beach, the F/A 18s are constantly flying maneuvers and appear to be cruising right behind the hotels, and you see the occasional big ship heading off to places unknown. This definitely isn't a place where my "Send our kids to college - not Iraq" bumper sticker would have fit in as evidenced by the fact that most of the staff in the NICU have some connection to the military - their spouses, significant others, parents, children etc.

I've spent most of my time in Virginia Beach so that's the part I know best. I live right off the Chesapeake Bay but those beaches aren't the best. The water is murky and a bit smelly and the beaches are not as wide. It's not very commercial though, so nice for walking between the water and the nice homes. The ocean front is where all of the "action" is at. When I first moved here, the tourist season was in high swing. The resort area along the ocean front is just a nightmare to navigate when the tourists are around and parking is ridiculous. Now that we're approaching Fall it's a lot easier to get in and out. When you walk down the ocean front, the only description I can think is "tourist trap." It reminds me of Branson, MO or Gatlinburg, TN where there is just shop after shop of souvenirs and crap. You can walk for blocks and it all seems to repeat itself. I'm sure there are some nice restaurants, but mainly you see ice cream shops, Dairy Queen, pizza and the like. It's not that it's bad, I just can't imagine hanging out there for an extended period of time. The beaches themselves are pretty nice. They're clean and wide and there's plenty of space. The water has a less polluted feel, but from what I'm told in no way compares to the Pacific or the beaches further south. Now that it's not as busy, it's fun to drive down to the oceanfront on my days off - take my beach chair and a book (not to mention floppy hat and TONS of SPF 30) and relax.

One funny thing about Virginia Beach is these signs posted everywhere ... apparently referring to no swearing. They crack me up and are on practically every street corner and at all of the malls in the city.

This week, I visited my first non-beach related site with another travel nurse, the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center. I have to say I wasn't wowed - it in no way compares to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, but it was an interesting afternoon. I did get to see stingrays up close and I suppressed the urge to take exacting revenge on those who killed Steve Irwin (why oh why you bastards!!) They had a shark tank and other exhibits, but none of my pictures really turned out except for these strange looking moonfish. It seemed more like a museum than an aquarium with lots of science/oceanography exhibits, and again it was interesting - I've just been to better.

After the aquarium we went to the oceanfront so that my friend could see the World's Largest Sand Castle. It was built last week for the big Neptune Festival and I had already seen it but was happy to get pictures without hundreds of people in my way. Here are some shots and one with my friend to give you a perspective on it's size.

Only the front is carved but the details are quite stunning and the whole thing was sculpted and built using only sand and water. Pretty cool. Another familiar site on the boardwalk is the statue of King Neptune. I got a good shot of it yesterday.

I'm hoping to see some more sights in the near future and spend more time posting pictures that you might find interesting to my blog! Let me know what you think.

1 Drunk Girl and 2 Guys

Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm NOT your typical chic.

I don't get jealous, I've never been too concerned about marriage, I'm really not into clothes or purses and I've always had guy friends. I firmly denounce the When Harry Met Sally theory that "men and women can't be friends because the sex part always gets in the way." Not only have some of my best friends been male, but honestly those friendships in general have been far easier and required less maintenance. I mean face it, men don't get upset if you're out and both wearing the same color of shirt, or if you're 10 minutes late, or if you're speaking to some girl that they once liked in high school. They just don't care that much about the details, and chics?? Well they care - a lot - about really stupid things.

So anyway, in college two of my really good friends were guys. We had all gone to high school together and our buddy Kevin was a favorite because his older sister let us have parties at her apartment - sweet! We didn't go to the same college, but we'd hook up for parties (like St Pat's at Rolla which was outrageous fun back in the day) and one of them was always game for coming to I.S.U. and going to a sorority function with me if I was single. After college, we all were doing the young professional thing in Springfield and feeling rich because we had a little money to spend. Our Wednesday nights were often spent drinking beer, playing Golden Tee golf on playstation, watching South Park, then heading out to a local watering hole. The best part of the deal for me was that when Jenn was drunk and stupid - which I'm not going to lie, was quite often in those days - those boys were like overprotective brothers. They always made sure that I didn't do anything *too* stupid. .... the time I played public spin the bottle then fell off the stage dancing at Broadway?? That doesn't count, I blame DJ Matt Greer for that one! Anyhoo, for the most part they kept me out of trouble and made sure that I made it home ... even if I was missing a shoe and that only happened once. My Mom never worried when I was out with "the boys" as she called them. Even when I was a cute young co-ed going off to St Pat's she knew they would take good care of me. (To explain, Rolla is an engineering school, incredibly overpopulated with males. Mix tons of drunk males who don't see a lot of women and a single chic and beer?? That's like throwing fresh meat to lions)

Of course eventually we all grew up.

Well more accurately THEY grew up, got married, had kids and all that adult stuff while I'm still living like a 25 year old nomad. Time started to get away from us, and suddenly it's been over three years since we all hung out. Luckily there was an event to bring us all together, even better an event of golf and beer! My buddy Rob and his wife hosted a charity golf outing to benefit the American Cancer Society and the Salsich Hoehn Foundation for ovarian cancer. Luckily they didn't make me golf, but I was given a golf cart and beer which is WAY more fun in my opinion. It was great catching up and hanging out like the old days. I have several versions of the top picture from events over the past 15 years ... from St Pat's to one of the many weddings of Kevin's sisters (they're Irish, they have lots of siblings, they throw fun weddings, it's what they do). I like to think that we haven't fundamentally changed over the years - I mean in my mind I definitely still look 22. Despite us now being older, more mature and perhaps wiser, the caption could still be 1 drunk girl and her 2 guy friends.

It was great seeing you!! Hope it doesn't take another 3 years to meet up!!

It's not that I don't like kids ....

As I'm writing this, I'm reminded of why I'm not sure if parenting is for me. My alarm clock is set to go off at 4:45 p.m. (crazy night shift worker who sleeps all day remember?) but for the last hour all I've been able to hear is the noise created by school aged children outside my building. Apparently there's a debate of sorts going on, some whining - perhaps a disagreement on how best to disturb the neighbors? Then there's the loud, unrelenting banging - I'm guessing it's feet kicking a piece of metal or perhaps jumping up and down on something?? Now there's the distinctive "indian style" noise made by yelling and patting your mouth with your hand just so.

In this moment, where I wish I were still sleeping, I REALLY don't like children. I understand that they're having a good time - playing after school, doing what kids will do; and I suppose I should be glad that they're not on a computer or watching TV while eating Ding Dongs. I just wish they weren't so loud and that they were FAR FAR away from my window.

Is this the evils of children or just the evils of apartment living??

Next Stop - Denver

I'm halfway through my assignment in Norfolk, VA and my next stop is going to be Denver. I just received a job offer from the University of Colorado Hospital which is down the street from my old office at the CO Dept of Public Health. For some reason, Colorado doesn't pay well in terms of travel contracts but this assignment wasn't too much of a pay cut and I think it's a pretty decent unit.

I'm really looking forward to getting back to Denver and catching up with my friends and maybe making some new ones as well!! The last time I lived in Colorado, I wasn't quite as active so I'm hoping to take advantage of the recreational opportunities this time around. Hopefully there will be some skiing after the first of the year, some snowshoeing, and I've always wanted to try cross country skiing. It's more my style because it doesn't have that "if I hit a tree going this fast I might die" stigma attached to it :)

Now that my time in Virginia is limited, I really need to get out and do some things. I haven't done a lot of touristy stuff because I've been trying to live very cheaply so that I can pay down my bills. I do want to hit some of the local attractions like the Virginia aquarium, the Nauticus maritime center, Chrysler Museum of Art, Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown settlement, as well as spend a few days up in Washington D.C. I think I'll plan my trip to DC late in October, and try to hit some of the local options on my days off over the next few weeks. Look for reports from those sites soon!!

How to prepare for the big race? A look back at training.

Now that my half-marathon is over and I didn't injure and/or completely embarrass myself ... at least I don't think I did??... I thought it would be a good time to evaluate my training plan - what worked and what didn't work.

First of all, though you wouldn't have known it from reading my training logs on beginner triathlete, I did actually have a plan. I was using an amalgamation of Hal Higdon's novice half marathon plan and the Fleet Feet beginner's half mary. Both were 12 weeks in length, with Hal's culminating in a 10 mile long run and the Fleet Feet culminating in a 12 mile run. I knew that with my sketchy running background (I've only been running regularly since mid-February and my most comfortable runs were in the 3 - 4 mile range) I would need some structure. All of this was well and good in theory, but let's face it, I'm not known for following the plan. Anyone who's known me in school knows that no matter how much I plan on writing that paper early, or studying in advance, it just never happens. I'm the quintessential last minute crammer and since it's always worked for me (though caused a fair deal of stress) I've never learned my lesson. I guess a Jenn motto would be, "Why do today what you can put off til tomorrow?" So I suppose my "plan" was doomed from the beginning. Especially when I decided to make a major career change and move to the other side of the country right smack dab in the middle of this plan. I really believe though, that had I followed the plan I would have been looking at a 2:36 half-marathon ... but whatever, I've got my whole life to be faster!!

I did manage to get in some long runs with my longest being 10 miles, actually the long runs were just about all I did. I'd do maybe a 3 or 4 miler and then a long run on the weekend. Definitely not following the plan.

And how about pre-race?? There's the whole idea of tapering because in theory you should be training really super hard and then resting the week before so your body is pumped up to get out there. Of course my whole training period was a taper, and the week before my race???? DIDN'T. RUN. ONCE.

I did however attend a golf outing two days before the race. Golf outing you say? I didn't know Jenn could golf! Well, Jenn can't golf. Despite spending money on lessons with golf pros in the 90's, purchasing a set of clubs in college and torturing my brother and friends by making them take me golfing ... it clearly was never meant to be. I accepted it and moved on. Instead I sat in a golf cart and drank beer. Yes, that's right - two days before my big race and Jenn is loaded on Bud Light on the 13th hole of the golf course in Mt Vernon, IL. And following the golf outing?? Margaritas with a Jimmy Buffet tribute band, followed by a late night session of catch up with an old friend over cabernet and cigars ..... yes, cigars I'm that cool kindof chic.

The day before my race? Dehydrated and slightly hung over, I chose shopping at the Galleria with my Mom and friend Kristin.

So in the end, I pretty much ignored the training plan, abused my body the two days before the race, and really didn't do anything right. But like everything else in my life, the "cramming" seems to work and the universe has yet to bitch slap me for it. Will I ever learn my lesson?? I'm guessing that if at the age of 33 I haven't learned, it's just going to be what it's gonna be.

The Pain and the Agony – Jenn’s First Half Marathon

I survived my first half-marathon. I say my “first” because I have no doubt that there will be others.

Yes, I’ve whined for weeks about not training properly, but I think I had a pretty good race despite that. I ended up with a time of 2 hours 48 minutes which translates to an average pace of 12:52 per mile. I used a walk/run strategy and had my watch set to alarm every 5 minutes to signal my walk break. Originally I was going to do a 1 minute walk break because I used this ratio in my training runs and it seemed to be the best I could do. The morning of the race though, I felt really good (the picture is a "before" shot in the hotel room) right from the beginning so I ran the whole first mile then decided to do 30 second walk breaks til mile 4, then 45 every 5 minutes from then on. Even when the going got tough, I stuck with this ratio and didn’t walk any longer than 45 seconds at any time.

So as far as the actual race report:
I arrived nice and early which is pretty unusual for me (you all know me well!) and then I hooked up with my cousin Travis who was running the full, his wife Micaela who was the designated cheerleader and her Dad Ron who was running his first full. I didn’t warm up – I mean it’s a 13 mile race, I’ll be lucky to have enough energy for that let alone a warm up! I visited the port-a-potty then found the appropriate place to line up which for me was between the 12 and 13 minute mile pace markers. Before the race started, they announced the presence of Dean Karnazes and the North Face Endurance 50 folks. Dean came to the mike and made a little statement about his cause, and let me tell you that guy is pretty hot and his body is amazing!! Shortly thereafter the race started. It took me about 5 minutes to make it to the starting line, and though I had just peed, I already was dying to go again. So I literally ran for two minutes before I came to the port-a-potties on the corner of the parking lot, the same ones I’d used when I got out of my car. I was happy to see that I wasn’t the only person with the same thought – quite a few people stopped. It wasn’t ridiculously large, 3800 people with about 3000 doing the half and 800 doing the full. I paced with a lot of the same people for most of the race and talked to quite a few. My race outfit – a special edition Skirt Sports running skirt and hot pink tank – garnered some attention. I had several compliments on it & women asking where I’d gotten it. My stock response was, “if I’m gonna be slow, I’m gonna be stylin’!” The course started on the road at the Family Arena – an event venue in St Charles then stayed on the road through downtown St Charles. The turn around was at a park and the way back was on the Katy Trail which I had spent a lot of time running on when I lived in Columbia. There were a few supporters on the course, mainly locals sitting in their lawn chairs clapping or holding up a sign on the first half. For most of the way back it was pretty quiet and solitary except for the fellow runners.

I felt totally awesome for the first 8 miles of the run. My heart rate was hanging out in the 150s or low 160s, and my breathing was even. I was in that comfort zone where it felt like I could go on forever. I developed blisters on the bottom of the toes of my right foot by mile 6, but they weren’t hurting – just a bit uncomfortable. From miles 8 – 10, I started to feel it a bit in my legs and I noticed my heart rate was staying up between 167 - 172, but I still felt really strong. At the 10 ½ mile point we were circling by the Arena, a nice man yelled “cold beer here” and I was handed a Pooh bear Dixie sized cup of Bud Light. One of the runners next to me asked if it was really beer, when I told her yes, she was bummed because she thought he was just kidding! Right after the beer, we passed near the finish line which first of all was a HUGE tease, but the crowd was quite large and cheering loudly. Folks were lining the finish chute as well as the trail we were on. My cousin Micaela was holding up a sign for me – she’s the best athletic supporter anywhere! Former sorority life prepares one well for making cute signs on the fly ☺ After seeing her and passing the crowd, it all started to fall apart. From mile 11 onward, each step was getting painful and all I could think about was hitting the finish line. During my walk breaks, I had developed an odd, limping gait, and I had to keep saying to myself, “start running, you can do it.” I was determined to not deviate from my 45 second walk break and I’m proud to say that I didn’t!! At about mile 11 ½, there was a pretty sizeable hill as we climbed the river bank back to the road. My timer did not alarm for a walk break during that point so I slowly and painfully ran up that whole freaking hill! After the hill, I could see the Arena in the distance but there was absolutely no way I could pick up the pace. I was still moving forward, but it was more of a shuffle than a run at that point.. I was almost in tears as I rounded into the parking lot but folks were cheering, one gal motioned to me to “raise the roof,” another yelled to chase down the two runners in front or me, all encouraging and awesome! When I finally hit the finish line and heard the announcer call my name I was so relieved. I really didn’t know what to do because if I stopped, my legs hurt so I kept walking around for about 10 minutes. I said Hi to Micaela then went to redeem the free beer coupon they handed me at the finish line. Odd don’t you think that they give you a free beer and hot dog after completing a road race?? I stretched a little bit and man my hamstrings were tight! Then I went back over to Micaela’s cheering area to wait for Travis. He had completed the first half around 2:10, so we were looking for him after 4 hours. While we were waiting, Dean Karnazes came by for the 21 mile point and it was hilarious to see all of the people running with him. It was just like that scene in Forrest Gump where Forrest has all the runners hanging on his every word. I got a picture as he ran by and Micaela got a shot when he finished about 20 minutes later.

Not too long after Dean finished, Travis came by the arena – he told Micaela that “this sucks” but he still looked strong. I knew we had about 20 minutes or so til Travis finished so I headed over to the North Face expo area where Dean was signing autographs and taking pictures. Luckily there wasn’t much of a line (small race, probably not a ton of people knew about him or had read his book unlike when he’s going to run New York or DC Marine Corps). I shook his hand, told him he was very inspiring and asked him to sign my race number. I told him it was my first half and that I had started running this year and lost 25 pounds, he said “That’s awesome! Congratulations and keep it up!” He personalized the autograph as shown. I did have my camera, but no one with me to snap a picture, besides I loved the idea of my first half mary having his autograph.

After meeting Dean, I went to cheer for the runners as they entered the Arena parking lot heading for the finish line, then cheered for Travis as he came in. It had started to rain lightly by this point, so I said goodbye to Micaela then went to find Trav and say bye to him. He was at the North Face expo area but they had already packed up and were on the bus. Dean came off the bus briefly, and Travis got the chance to meet him and shake his hand and thankfully I was there to snap a picture. Aren’t they both ripped?? Hard to tell the difference, except our family isn’t Greek.

I went back to the hotel just as the clouds opened up and the downpour began. I took a much needed shower then went to lunch with my Mom. I had intended on flying back to Norfolk that evening, but the plane was overweight so they asked for volunteers to stay over the night. I volunteered and was given a $250 flight voucher, a free night at the Airport Hilton and breakfast. Not a bad deal, and honestly the plush hotel bed was much more comfortable than the rented furnishings in my Virginia apartment. Now as I type this, I’m finally boarding a plane back to Virginia and the pain …. Well let’s just say that everything from the waist down hurts!!

Tomorrow's Quest ... 13.1

Despite being ridiculously unprepared, I’m doing the Lewis and Clark half-marathon in St Charles, MO tomorrow. For those unfamiliar with road races, a half-marathon is 13.1 miles and the full mary is 26.2. I have no delusions of being able to “run” it, my plan is to do a run 4 minute/walk 1 minute approach with the hope of pacing somewhere between 12 – 13 minutes per mile. Now had I trained properly and followed my 3 month training plan, I probably would have had a real chance at running the majority of this distance, but all plans fell by the wayside in my move to Virginia. This isn’t an event I’m going to “race,” this is an event I simply want to complete … hopefully upright and without the need for medical attention.

My longest training run was 10 miles and it was an absolutely miserable experience because I had horrible stomach cramps from mile 5 on. I’m just going to keep my fingers crossed that I don’t have any cramps, blisters or other issues that slow me to a crawl.

My cousin Travis is going to be doing the full marathon and a gal who worked with me when she was a nursing student, Michelle, is also doing the half. The race is sold out so hopefully it will be a fun day. I’m also hoping to get a chance to see Dean Karnazes who’s starting the Endurance 50 challenge that day. They’re going to have a booth set up and he’s going to make himself available for autographs and such. If you like biographies, his book Ultramarathon Man is a good read.

So hopefully I’ll make it and there will be a victory posting soon.