Forward is a Pace

Thankful Things Thursday: On Loving What You Do

Lauren — Fri, 18 May 2012 03:08:31 +0000

Happy Thursday, friends! I’m going to go back to taking a cue from my friend Ali and starting my Thursday with a healthy dose of thankfulness.

Thursdays just feel better that way.

Because work has me oh-so-happy that I can hardly stand it this week, this is Thankful Things Thursday: I Freaking Love My Job edition. Let’s go.

I’m thankful for this season’s amazing Team Challenge Illinois participants. Forty-one incredible participants from Illinois will cross the finish line in Sonoma on July 15, and I can’t wait to cheer for each and every one of them. I am practicing my super rad cheerleading moves circa 1998.

I'm a Hoffman Hawk. I'm trouble with a capital T. I'm T-R-O-U-B-L-E, so you better not mess with me! Yeah. I'm busting out my cheers on race day. You're welcome.

I’m thankful for the fantastic mentors and coaches of Team Illinois. Mentors can be the difference between a good season and a great one. This season’s mentors are the bee’s knees. I’m so grateful for each of them. And our coaches? Oh, they’re the best. I seriously couldn’t be happier.

I’m thankful long runs as part of my work day. Seriously? I get to run and chat with nice, fun people and that’s my job? Yes, please.

I’m thankful for Pandora stations at work. Specifically my John Mayer station, which has the perfect mellowish work day feel.

I’m thankful for Napa and Vegas. I’ll take those every year. Yes, please.

Last season's Team Illinois. Vegas 2011.

I’m thankful for 41. The number of participants I’ll be taking to California in July!

I’m thankful for making a difference. I love knowing that I am doing something worthwhile at work. I know that the funds we’re raising can really make a difference — for me, my friends, and everyone living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Do you love your job? What are you thankful for at work?

How to Get Back into a Running Groove

Lauren — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:37:56 +0000

Even though I love running, it’s still difficult to get back into that groove after taking a little break. There are always some runs that are a little tougher than others, but I find that even more of them are tough when you’ve been spending more time on the couch with Mad Men than you have lacing up your running shoes.

That’s how it is for me, anyway.

But much like I do when I’m trying to stay stress-free, I have some little tricks that I employ when I want to remind myself how much I love running.

Run with a group. One of my favorite things about my Team Challenge participants this season is their enthusiasm for running together. Each Wednesday, a group of participants meets up for a run. I can always count on this little group run to get my excited and off my couch. Better yet, the miles tick by so much more happily with my team.

With some of my fabulous team at the Cinco de Miler.

Make running a social thing. It’s kind of like running with a group, but this one’s different. Make plans to meet a friend you haven’t seen in a while and run. You’ll be so distracted by the chit-chatting that you’ll be able to forget all about the fact that your legs feel like lead.

Bust out a t-shirt from an old race. Bonus points if the race was especially difficult and you conquered it anyway. Even when a run isn’t going my way, I feel powerful when I’m wearing one of my Chicago Marathon shirts or my shirt from the Las Vegas Rock & Roll Half Marathon. But my favorite shirt by far is my finisher’s shirt from my very first marathon, the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco. It was an incredibly difficult race, but somehow, Melissa and I finished. That shirt reminds me that I can get through the toughest of runs.

With our finisher's medals and awesome t-shirts. We earned them.

Bribe yourself. I’m not above bribery. I can successfully bribe myself into running, and it’s fantastic. Lauren, if you go for a run, you can have that new running shirt/raspberry tart/take a nap. Sometimes this one takes a little extra willpower, so the prize has to really be worth it.

Just get dressed. This is my favorite trick that my friend Barb taught me. Sometimes, just getting dressed in your running clothes and getting ready to workout can do it. I feel a little twinge of guilt changing out of them without doing my workout. But that little twinge is just enough, most days.

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On another note, I’m over on Girls With Guts today, sharing my story. It’s a new twist on stories I’ve told before, so check it out if you’re so inclined.

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Tell me your tricks for getting out of a running rut. What do you do?

Girls With Guts Launch!

Lauren — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:08:15 +0000

I have nothing fabulous for you today, but there’s a good reason. Something really fabulous is happening elsewhere on the internet.

Girls With Guts, a website founded by Charis of Full Frontal Ostomy, Jackie of Blood, Poop, and Tears, and Sara of Inflamed & Untamed, has launched!

The three amazing ladies behind Girls With Guts.

So what are you waiting for? Head there and check it out. All three ladies are fantastic, inspiring, and amazing. The website delivers a healthy dose of positivity for the IBD community.

Come back here tomorrow. I’ll be waiting.

And fill me in. How was your weekend?

Meet Some Girls With Guts

Lauren — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:08:35 +0000

You won’t see my pretty face in these interviews, because I missed this part of Girls With Guts Weekend. What you will see is five amazing women who are activists within the IBD Community. So take a seat and check this out. Then visit their sites. It’s worth it.

Take a turn in the hotseat and answer one of the questions in the comments below!

Yes, I’m Still a Runner: Cinco de Miler

Lauren — Thu, 10 May 2012 11:00:31 +0000

It’s kind of funny, actually. Now that I work around endurance athletes, I spend lots of time with runners and at races, but not too much time actually running. I get all decked out in my running gear for our team runs, and then I have a dance party while I watch everyone’s stuff and wait for them to return.

As it turns out, this method will not get me ready for the Chicago Marathon in October. It certainly didn’t get me ready for some of those other races on my sidebar, many of which promptly got crossed off my list for the year. But I am registered for the Chicago Marathon and I am going to finally break that six hour mark this year. (Weather permitting, of course. Please don’t be 100 degrees in October, Chicago. I beg you.)

I figured that meant it was time to start training, and well, racing again.

Since my team was doing the Cinco de Miler as training for the Napa to Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon, I decided to lace up my running shoes and join them for a change!

I blatantly stole this photo from Kenny, my participant.

I was giddy with excitement on race morning. I love, love, love my team. I loved pinning on my race bib and getting ready to actually run with them. I loved cheering, “Go Team Challenge!” before starting my race. It was amazing to be back in the corrals, feeling that pre-race frenzy of excitement.

I had no plans or time goals for this race. I was hoping to finish in about an hour, but knew that would actually take some work on my part, given my complete laziness lately.

I'd say that mission was accomplished, wouldn't you?

There’s not much to report about the race itself. It was ridiculously fun. I ran with two participants and an alumni and we crossed the finish line with smiles on our faces. I loved running. I loved running with buddies. I loved racing.

My goodness, I’m happy to be back.

Tell me about your athletic life. What races are on your agenda? What other ways are you sweating it out?

Take it Easy

Lauren — Wed, 09 May 2012 11:00:56 +0000

Oh hey. Yes, I’m alive. It’s been a crazy few weeks, but I am still alive and well.

This has nothing to do with anything I just said, but I really like it. So yeah. Do that.

I’m a firm believer that sometimes, you have to just sit back and take it easy. Or, you know, carpe the hell out of this diem. Whatever. Sometimes they can both be the same thing. The more I learn about my ulcerative colitis and the way that my body responds to stress, the better I am learning to care for it. We all have our little tricks that keep us going and help us stay stress-free (or as close to it was we possibly can). Here are some of mine.

Get a solid 8. It is amazing how different my perspective is after a good night’s sleep. It keeps me calmer, happier, and helps keep my immune system in check, too.

Yes, that's me. Sleepy and fashionable. How awesome are those watermelons? How chubby are those little cheeks?

Give a little bit. Going out of my way to be nice to other people always lifts my spirits. It can be as simple as making room for a car that is trying to merge, popping a card in the mail to a friend, or complementing a stranger in line. Sure, you can do big things, too, but when I’m stressed, these little things make a big difference.

Bake! I spent 20 minutes last night making sugar cookies. Yes, it was a dry mix and all I had to do was add butter and water. But they were warm and yummy. It really is the little things.

Read a book. I’m working my way through Let’s Pretend this Never Happened: (A Mostly True Memoir) by Jenny Lawson, aka The Bloggess. Reading always takes me somewhere else, even for just a few minutes. There is nothing better. (If you’ve never heard the giant metal chicken story, click that link now. Just do it. You’re welcome.)

Get a little treat. I bought myself flowers last week. They cost me $4, and have brought me over a week of happiness. I smile when I see the way they spruce up the room.

Above all, I remember this:

Nobody can make you happy but you. So go ahead and create your happy. What little things make you happy?

Life Lessons By the Numbers

Lauren — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 11:00:01 +0000

In the last week, I’ve come across blog post after blog post with beautiful, simple life lessons. Rather than keep them to myself, I thought I’d share them all. Enjoy!

15 Things You Should Give Up to Be Happy

18 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I Was 18

12 Things Happy People Do Differently

30 Things to Start Doing For Yourself

20 Things Life is Too Short to Tolerate

30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself

Yep. Most of them are from the same blog. I’m officially obsessed.

So, what’s your best advice? What are your little tricks for happiness? Lay it on me.

I Love Running.

Lauren — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:00:35 +0000

Sometimes I get so busy and caught up in other things that I forget how good a good run can be. Since I started my job with Team Challenge, I’ve spent a ton of time around running, but not so much time actually running.

Last night, that changed. I met up with a group of my participants for their scheduled 4-mile training run. It was hard, because I’ve been running about once a week lately. It was also absolutely wonderful.

Totally.

The thing I love about running is that it always welcomes me back with open arms. Sure, the first few runs back after a long hiatus are a little slower. They might hurt a little more, too. But somewhere in there, I always find a moment that reminds me why I love lacing up my shoes and hitting the pavement.

I love running because it clears my mind. Sometimes, several miles can go by without me even noticing. It’s rare, but my mind occasionally goes completely blank and I just lose myself in the run. There is no better feeling than this.

I love running because it gives me time to think. Quite the opposite of my last reason, I know. But there are runs during which I feel like I’ve solved all the world’s problems — or at least the problems of everyone in my life. A good run helps me sort out all of the dilemmas I’m facing, gives me new perspective, or at least puts in in a better mood.

I love running because I love endorphins. I am absolutely in love with the “runner’s high.” It’s real. And it’s awesome.

I love running because I’ve met wonderful people through running. From my Team Challenge participants to old teammates from other running groups, to other people I’ve met along the way, some of my favorite people are those I’ve gotten to know while we run together. There’s nothing like a friend by your side to make the miles tick by.

I love running because when I take a break, it’s always there for me when I return.

Why do you love running? Or whatever it is you love?

Happy Thoughts for a Rainy Monday

Lauren — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:48:38 +0000

Courtesy of one of my favorites, Curly Girl Design.

No matter what.

How will you be wild, courageous, or brilliant today?

Thankful Things Thursday: Bloggers with IBD Edition

Lauren — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 18:37:32 +0000

This is a very special weekend for me. As we speak, ladies from different parts of the country are headed to Chicago for Girls with Guts weekend. I haven’t met some of them before, but we all have one thing in common: IBD. The ladies in attendance this weekend are all activists in one way or another. I can’t believe that I’m a part of such a wonderful community now, and I can’t wait to brainstorm and share ideas with them.

In honor of this weekend, I’m doing Thankful Things Thursday with a twist and introducing you to some amazing bloggers with IBD. (Not all of them are partaking in the weekend, but all are absolutely wonderful.) Add them to your must-read list. Now.

I’m thankful for Jackie at Blood, Poop, & Tears. Jackie’s blog is an open, honest account of her life with ulcerative colitis and a J-pouch. I love her because she shares my love of ’90s pop, but I also love her for how real she is. There’s no sugar-coating it over at her page.

This is Jackie. Hi, Jackie!

I’m thankful for Sara at Inflamed & Untamed. Sara has opened my eyes to making your steroid-puff face look pretty. She’s full of makeup tips for those days when your IBD has you feeling just plain yucky. Like Jackie, she’s also open and real about her disease. She even has weekly Vlogs so you can hear her voice! Woohoo!

I’m thankful for Charis at Full Frontal Ostomy. Charis has taught me everything I know about ostomies. I’ll admit, I knew next to nothing when I started reading her blog. I love the support she provides to her readers. It’s everything from what to wear so your pouch doesn’t show to emotional support and more. She’s also fierce and strong and makes me feel like a total wimp. Charis is a rockstar.

I’m thankful for Andrea & Megan at The Great Bowel Movement. Okay, technically this one isn’t a blog, but it’s the movement behind my favorite t-shirt! These girls are an inspiration to me. They helped me learn, seven years after diagnosis, how to be open about my ulcerative colitis. Thanks to them, I have had countless conversations, helped educate others, and become much, much more comfortable in my own skin.

Andrea & Megan, co-founders of The Great Bowel Movement

I’m thankful for Ali at Ali on the Run. I’ve professed my love for Ali many times. One of the first blogs I found by someone with IBD, Ali is “kicking Crohn’s in the butt” on a daily basis, smiling the entire time. I love Ali for her positive outlook on life. Even when she’s feeling, as she puts it, “Crohnsy,” Ali always finds something to smile about. I got Thankful Things Thursdays from her, and she’s managed to spread her happiness on over to me.

Ali and me in Vegas at the Team Challenge VIP Reception

I’m thankful for Kace at Then Change It. Kace is another one of the first few blogs I found. She’s rockin’ it with no colon, and I cried through her entire series about her disease and subsequent surgery. Kace was the first blog I found that made me feel less alone, and I’ll be forever grateful.

I’m thankful for Teresa Nelson. Teresa is not only a blogger, but a triathlon coach who lives with IBD. When I made my tough decision to stop training for Steelhead 70.3 last year, Teresa was there with kind words, comfort, and support. She made me feel tremendously better about my decision and is one awesome, tough woman.

Share with me. What are your favorite blogs?