All Things Gwen

Don’t Be a D-List Friend

April 1, 2011

With my bff and maid-of-honor, Danielle!

I’ve been called “Super Friend.” I will talk to anyone, anywhere. I will find something in common with you and love to keep in touch. You tell me you like working out? We’re doing a race together. You tell me you love to cook? I’m giving you my favorite recipes. Your husband’s a Giants fan? Double date!

Maybe I’m a hopeless romantic — or friend-mantic — when it comes to friends. Maybe I just want to have clones of my best and closest friends. I don’t know. I just really like to connect to people and have crazy, laughing-so-hard-I’m-crying fun. I feel like you can learn so much and also offer a lot in return. But, some friendships are just not worth it.

In all these trial-and-error friendships — some have lasted and some have fizzled out. I think that’s normal. My hubs says that not everyone is going to be your best friend. My closest friends tell me that there are different levels of friendship. I agree with both. And, in all this, I’ve figured out my friendship “style” and “requirements.” Maybe that means I’m high maintenance. Tell me what you think …

To me, a close friend:
• Responds to your phone calls, texts, emails, fb posts, whatever. Maybe not right away — but to the important ones, yes. And if it’s been a few days, a “sorry, things have been crazy” message is cool too.
Real life example: I once expressed to a “friend” how devastated I was with losing my cousin and said I really wanted to get together and be with friends to laugh and have fun. No response. The day that we got together, I texted her to see if she was coming, and she had a lame excuse. Didn’t even mention my email or bother to rsvp to the evite!
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Don’t Let Injuries Throw You Off the Wagon

March 30, 2011

Showing off my plyometric skillz.

This week, I made a tough decision. I’m not doing Broad Street Run (10 miles) this year. It would have been the first time I’ve done a race longer than 10k. I was so set on doing it.

The decision wasn’t easy, but the pain in my knee was/is still screaming SLOW DOWN. It started about six weeks ago when I originally began the 10-week training program for the race. I started Four Hour Body about the same time. I was only running three times a week and was actually excited to follow a schedule. In fact, I had printed out the Hal-Higdon’s beginner training program and then cut out each week’s schedule and glued it to the corresponding week in my planner. Hardcore.

I started to feel the pain in my knee in week two of training, then got completely side-lined when I hurt my ankle. I was teaching a two-hour boot camp class and ending up rolling my right ankle pretty bad. In my 10 years of teaching, I’ve never done that. I actually didn’t know what to do. Sit down? Get ice? I felt like I didn’t have really any choice, so I kept teaching and going all out. I couldn’t feel the pain because my adrenaline was pumping … until later that day.

Since the ankle incident, I rested a lot. Stopped running, rested more and iced my injuries. Then, without training and from three weeks of being immobile, I did a 5k with my cousins. My ankle and my left knee hurt. Another week of complete rest. Then, the Phillies 5k with hubby. OUCH.

Off to the doctor
Today I went to see a doctor and was totally caught off guard when I had x-rays done there and apparently now need an MRI to see if I have a tear in my meniscus. Doc and I actually think I got the injury two years ago doing a mud run. It’s been coming and going since then.

But, can I tell you — I can’t stand resting! I miss running and doing plyometrics and really want to be doing hill sprints and stuff?
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He’s Hooked! Hubby’s First 5K

March 28, 2011

Hubs and I did a race over the weekend — the Phillies 5k at Citizen’s Bank Park. It was his first race and (obviously) our first race together. In fact, I’m pretty sure that he’s never run longer than a mile before. I’ve done quite a few and was so excited when he let me talk him into doing it. Even though it was freezing out, it was a good first race since a few of our friends did it with us and the crowd was fun and friendly.

Our strategy
Billy didn’t “train” for the run and neither did I. He did about one mile twice the week of the race; my ankle and knee have been bothering me for weeks. So, our plan was just to go slow and steady. To be honest, I got a little worried when we were just out of the lot and he asked me how long I thought we had gone. Um, maybe a quarter of a mile?

Our plan was good though. He didn’t lose gas, and neither did I. I’ve learned that lesson before — it’s so easy to just take off with the pack and sprint — but with that, if you’re not conditioned, you can exert too much energy, get exhausted and have nothing left. The group carried us and I felt like we were going at a decent pace.

Toward the end, I’d say the last ¾ of a mile, I suggested we pick up the pace. My body felt good and I had all the energy in the world. He tells me that he’s going to lose his shoe, and I’m thinking GREAT. With the end in sight, he makes me pull over to the side while he ties it up (with frozen fingers). Rookie mistake! Out of love, I do.

Then, like the scene from Stand By Me when the boys start sprinting through the junk yard, I yell – “SPRINT!!!!” If it was a straight run and I didn’t have to dodge people, I would have beat Billy.

Our times came in and he beat me by two seconds, and we were both under 35 minutes.
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