Old Age: A Mindful Constraint

Hello Friends,

My mom texted me this pictures and said, "We were all sooo young!!"

My reply, "Loving the outfits! We're all still young! Wait til you're 80 and I'm 58 ;)"

"We will both be old ;)"

"We could even think about daddio being 100 and us being 70 :)"

"Wouldn't surprise me the old bugger!"

"Haha you're never getting away from daddio!"

In this image my mom was almost my age, 23, and my dad was 31.

It is true, time goes by faster than you wish and here we are today 22 years later.

Some of my friends are 24 and 25, about the time a "quarter-life" crisis hits. But those of us who are 22 and 23 do not even want to think about 25. In just two years we will be looking back at accomplishments and weighing what we've "done"with our lives so far.

I want to disparage the focus of age no matter if you are 22 or 104.

Here is what really matters in your life:

1. The relationships you form with others
Significant others, family, friends, passing strangers, classmates, the barista you see every morning for your latte with skim milk.

You meet millions of different people throughout your lifetime. Whether they be long lasting relationships or a few passing minutes, you never know when you can change another person's life just by saying hello. In turn, you never know when your life will be changed by a person you meet.

This world is populated with 7 billion people. Building relationships with others is human instinct and it is fully up to you whether or not you build relationships or pass through life living for yourself.

"If civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the science of human relationships - the ability of all peoples, of all kinds, to live together, in the same world at peace."
                                                                                                               ~Franklin D. Roosevelt


2. Giving back
A consequence of 7 billion people on this planet is many, many, many people who are in need. Food, water, shelter, education, clothing, hygiene supplies, school supplies and love are all necessities for people to live. How many people go through life without thinking of all the suffering around us?

We see a homeless man on the corner begging for some change, but drive past him with our music cranked high. We quickly change the commercial during the weekly sitcom because you don't want to be saddened by seeing starving children.

Donate food at the local food pantry, volunteer in your community, be a big brother or big sister or start a fundraiser for you favorite non-profit organization. The simplest act is giving back to those suffering in this world.

“To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” 
                                                                                                                     ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
3. Pursuing your passions
A depressing sight for my eyes to see is people who are "stuck" in a job they absolutely hate. We are all breathing, we all have time, we all have passions. Pursue your passions no matter what!

Did you have a dream when you were 12, 25, 34, 50? Have you made your dream come true? If you're shaking your head left and right, I wish you the best. It's never too late to begin and change the path in your life.

"Decide what to be and go be it"
                                                                                                                              ~The Avett Brothers
4. Travel 
 Go see the world. I don't care how you get there, how you live there, or what you do when you're there, just go.

That was vague wasn't it? Well, traveling is extremely important in order for us to open our eyes and push us out of our comfort zones. Warning: You will be uncomfortable during at least one part of traveling. Don't worry, this is a good uncomfortable.

The people and places you see while traveling will be memorable for the rest of your life. During travel you soak in different cultures, sights, sounds, languages and food (my favorite). Most importantly, you have the opportunity to see how other people live in different environments compared to your own.  

"Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends."
                                                                                                                                    ~Maya Angelou

I urge everyone to experience life instead of measuring your life with numbers. Is living truly living if you do not do anything worth living for? Ponder that one.

Stay Joyful,

Jess

Always on the Move

Hi Friends,

It's been a while since my last blog post thanking everyone for the Charity Water donations. Busy is not a loaded enough word to describe the past month and a half which included spring break and a lot more traveling. One week out of the last 2 weeks I have been traveling, and I am very grateful for the opportunity. 

An excerpt from Tennsyon's poem, Ulysses, expresses my urge to keep traveling to new places in and out of the country: 

"I am a part of all that I have met; 

Yet all experience is an arch wherethrough 

Gleams that untraveled world whose margin fades 

Forever and forever when I move" 

 I love these four lines and the truth pouring out.

 I am going to skip my spring break description because to be truthful it was a little stressful and includes car troubles. So, Easter is where I will begin. My sister Carmella and I were able to travel back home to Wisconsin to see my parents. The weekend was extremely relaxing, filled with good food and family bonding. We traveled back on Monday, the first of April and on Friday the fifth my friends and I traveled to Sioux Falls, SD for a concert. I love EVERY song on Macklemore's album The Heist so my sisters and I were pretty pumped for the show. He did not disappoint (we could have done with out the abundance of high schoolers). After staying over our friend Allie's house whose parents so graciously let us stay and they fed us, we drove back to Moorhead on the sixth.

Monday the  8th my sister Nicole and I left at 2 a.m. for Mankato, MN for the state academic conference where we presented our content analysis of violence in children's films(this is another blog post). We returned home from Mankato that same day around 8:30 p.m. On top of the traveling were days filled with school, homework, hanging with old friends and work so by Tuesday I was wiped out. So wiped out, I slept from 12:30 am Tuesday until 2:45 before going to work at 4. My body was telling me I needed rest but I pushed a little more and now I am sick with a cold. It was ALL worth it because seeing and experiencing new people and environments is worth it.

I guess what I am trying to say is settling down in one location is going to be hard for me in the future. All my life I've never stayed in one place very long. Moving from Fall River, MA to Providence, RI, to Wausau, WI and then to Moorhead, MN. I've always anticipated the move to somewhere new; a place with great adventures.  Of course I can always make adventures myself no matter what the city. After living in Moorhead, MN the past four years I've heard plenty of people say, "There's nothing to do here, it is so boring." You know what I say to that? The town isn't boring, only you are. It is called making the best of your situation and if a person cannot find entertainment or activities to do in the F/M area I call b.s. because that's their own fault.

I look forward to the traveling I pursue in the future and my next step in life. With this long winter we've been having (snowed today!) I hope to move out of the Midwest for a while after the summer of 2014. I also plan on doing some traveling in the country to states not yet visited. So I urge everyone to let your margins fade as you continue to keep moving.

Enjoy the picture of my sisters and I as babies, taken in Massachusetts.

Stay Joyful,
Jess

 

 

My Final "I Run for Water" Totals

Hello Friends,

I Run For Water officially ended on March 2 and I am happy to announce the official funds total is $1,065. I am thankful and grateful for every donor listed below and the amount of each donation. The donation from Graebel Co. employees cannot be looked over. The exact number of donors is not known, but I extend appreciation to each and every one of you! 

Without all of you who took the time to read about and become informed about Charity Water $1, 065 would not be on its way to provide about 53 people with clean water in Tigray, Ethiopia. 

    

 

I ran a total of 84 miles in the past 2 months. I would be lying if I said I am not disappointed in this final amount. I know deep down I could run more than 3 miles, 6 days a week with one rest day. I did not do this  and I will definitely try my best during my next fundraiser. However, I am not disappointed in the funds raised! All I can say is thank you and I hope everyone continues to open their hearts for those in need in the future.

January: 59

   February: 35

Thank You Charity Water for being a nonprofit organization who does such good in this world. You are all amazing!

Stay Joyful,
Jess

A Quick Thank You

Hello friends,

With only 5 days left to donate I am so thankful for people continuing to show their amazing hearts by donating to Charity Water. Two more donations were made since yesterday to increase the amount raised so far to $894. My running is still going as well, today I ran 2.5 miles for clean water. So this is a quick thank you for the donations today and in the past 2 months.

Just imagine the smiling faces

          Remember there is still time to donate! 

www.mycharitywater.org/jessjoyjasp will bring you to my profile page to find updates and mileage.

www.mycharitywater.org/i-run-for-water will bring you straight to the donation page where it is as simple as pressing the green button show to the right.














Stay Joyful,

Jess

The End is Near and the Future is Clear

Hello Friends,

I cannot believe how fast 7 weeks have passed. Thank you to all of you who donated so far! After looking back at my Nike account here are the official numbers for the amount of miles I ran:

January: 59

             February: 30 so far

I am going to try and run as far as possible in the next 8 days until the fundraiser ends. For only running 89 miles and to raise $796 is incredible and so much more than I expected. I never thought I would increase my first goal of $500 to $1,000.  

With every donation my eyes welled up with tears and I feel so blessed to be able to spread news about Charity Water and for so many people to respond positively. So far 39 men, women, and children will be provided with clean water in Ethiopia. 39 human beings lives will be changed forever because of water, an element many of us take for granted every day. 

All I had to do was run and advertise my fundraiser to friends, family, and one place of business. On March 2 2013 two months will mark the time it took to raise the final amount of money. I guess the point is for all of you who feel like you can do more, you can. Imagine if everyone followed through with a fundraiser like Charity Water. Imagine how much money could be raised for those in need. Whether you are called toward international fundraising or doing good in your community, I urge you do take a step forward. Hopefully I have encouraged others to begin their own fundraiser or to give up some of their week to volunteer. I certainly feel like more can be done by me. 

So here's to 8 more days left! Please spread the word if you haven't already about the fundraiser. 

My Charity Water Profile where you will find daily updates and pictures proving how many miles I ran each day: www.mycharitywater.org/jessjoyjasp

Here is the direct link to the donation page: www.mycharitywater.org/i-run-for-water

Stay Joyful,

Jess

Questioning Comparison

Hello friends,

"What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Lately I've been thinking about comparison. Us as human beings naturally if not ritualistically compare ourselves to everyone.  Whether the comparison is between our jobs, families, significant others, relationships, possessions, religions, morals, actions, etc. We get wedged between "Am I as accomplished as this person?" or "Could my life be better?" or "I have to fix this because that person's is like that" or "Wow, so and so should be more like me." Vague questions I know, but take into consideration the vagueness of comparison. No two individuals were born to be exactly alike. No matter the area of life you set your eyes upon, there will always be differing characteristics and circumstances.

Comparison is simple.
Comparison is easy.
Comparison is addicting.
Comparison sucks us in and distorts our minds into thinking we need to change.

This past week, I allowed countless comparisons to steal my time. I compare my faith, relationship, what it means to love, grades, wealth, and fitness. The only lesson I learn amounts to additional confusion and questioning. At this point separation of reality and fantasy is blurred into a Tetris game circa 1984. Building upon blocks and unable to tear apart the hinges. Leaving gaps of nothingness as a result. I do not want to live in fantasy. Comparison allows me to live in a fantasy dreaming of changes that will never take place. I dream of differences because I believe they will better my life. Reality screams back, the fact of the matter is if I remain in fantasy no changes will occur.

I am physically and emotionally tired of comparing the past and the possible future to this moment in time. My time on earth fails in comparison to where I hope to spend Eternity. What lies inside of me is yet to be discovered. We all have the ability to accomplish more. My accomplishments will fail in comparison to my fantasies.  Reality will trump. I will beat this game of Tetris, allowing doubts to dissolve with every block. Next time a thought of comparison comes to your mind simply ask yourself if it is fair. Is it fair to yourself? Is it fair to the thing your are comparing? Is it fair to the person you are comparing? I'm going to save you some time, IT ISN'T FAIR.

Next time you compare your life, wealth, religion, relationships,etc. (no matter the truth that may exist) remember we were all "fearfully and wonderfully made."

Stay Joyful,
Jess

Enjoy a picture of Luna and I :)

 

Thank you for supporting I Run for Water

Hello friends, 
      I have exciting news about the I Run for Water fundraiser I have only been a part of for 23 days.  Tagged onto my Christmas wish list this year other than toothbrush heads and socks was a 25 dollar donation to Charity Water.  Well, I received SO much more than what I hoped for. My mom works at Graebel Van Lines in Wausau, Wisconsin and I have also worked there for two summers in the past. To raise money for charity or for a person in need Graebel will offer "dress down days" in which if you donate a dollar for the day you are able to dress down rather than wear the regular office apparel. So my mom had a fantastic idea to ask the lovely folks at Graebel if they could provide a dress down week at the beginning of January in which the money would go to those in need of clean water. 
      My mom spread the news about my fundraiser and after getting the go ahead I made up a poster and e-mail to send to everyone. On January 7th through January 10th Graebel employees generously donated a dollar a day (some donated more) to help fund providing clean water to those in Ethiopia. My mom told me the total amount on Friday and it took all I had to hold back the tears. I am so thankful, grateful, and excited for all the support I have received from everyone at Graebel. The total amount donated is $476.02! I am truly blown away by this amount. This means I am increasing my previous goal of $500 dollars to $1,000. Thank you again to those who donated, my mom for setting this whole thing up, and Graebel for allowing the dress down week. Without all of you I would not be able to set my goal even higher and raise more money for clean water. 

     2013 is promising for change, opportunity, and more blessings in my life. I have ran a total of 46 miles so far and raised a total of $631.52. The spring semester began on the 14th and I am looking forward to new classes, more running, and new experiences. To stay updated on my runs and donation goals here is the link to my Charity Water page: http://mycharitywater.org/jessjoyjasp  and here is the link to the donation page for I Run for Water: http://mycharitywater.org/i-run-for-water . I will also try and write a new blog once a week which will compile my runs, thoughts, and experiences from the week. 
    I cannot say thank you enough to those of you who donated. I also want to say thank you to the readers of my blog. Please continue to spread the word about Charity Water and remember any amount helps.

Stay joyful,
Jess      

I Run for Water

Hello Friends,

Happy New Year! I hope you all had an amazing time celebrating the holidays with friends and family. As 2013 begins with full force I would like to tell you all about my fundraiser that began today, January 1st.  As I said in my last blog post, "I've been taking water for granted," my plan is to intertwine my passion for running with my passion for providing clean water to everyone.  So here it goes!

Through Charity Water I began a fundraiser titled "I Run for Water." This fundraiser consists of recording the daily mileage I run on my fundraising website, http://mycharitywater.org/i-run-for-water, and my goal is for at least one person to match the mileage I ran with a dollar donation per mile. For example, if I run 3 miles one day I would hope for a person to donate 3 dollars or any amount that person can. My goal is to raise a minimum of $500.00 in two months. This means I will be running as much as possible in two months in order to raise as much money as possible.

I am very excited for this fundraiser and I hope you are all too. It is so easy for all of my friends to help because of the donation page. This donation page will also make it easy for me to update my mileage, pictures, news, etc. to everyone who is interested. Here is exactly where the money is going:

100% of donations from this campaign will fund water projects in Ethiopia.

Your money will help the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Many here are farmers living on less than $1/day.

60% of the people here don’t have access to clean water, and must walk hours to the nearest water source.

You’re helping fund drilled and hand-dug wells for communities in the rural countryside of Ethiopia.

So please, please click on my website link daily to see updates and how many miles I ran for clean water. Any amount of money helps and would be greatly appreciated. I will be posting fundraiser updates http://mycharitywater.org/i-run-for-water as well as this blog. 

Stay Joyful,

Jess

I've been taking water for granted

Hello readers,

Lately I've been searching for a cause to dive into that helps change peoples' lives.  The cause I am interested in is supplying clean water to those in need. Above is a video on mycharitywater.org a organization I have recently joined and set up a profile on.  100 percent of the donations go towards providing men, women, and children with clean water.  More information can be found at http://www.charitywater.org/whywater/.

The first time I thought about wasting water was in sixth grade.  I would leave the faucet running the entire time I brushed my teeth. Little did I know how fortunate I was for the accessibility to water. Now 10 years later I've made strides to decrease the amount of waste I produce (mostly not buying bottled drinks especially bottled water). However, I've been wasting and ignoring the fact 1 billion people do not have access to clean water. 

I take too long of showers, run the water too long while washing dishes, I drink water from the sink and empty my cup if I do not want the rest, and I overestimate the amount I need for coffee, tea, hot chocolate, etc. which gets dumped down the sink. All of these instances I waste water I cannot help but think of the families and individuals who do not have the opportunity to waste the way I do.  Many families and individuals do not have access to water at all.

My actions of showering, washing dishes, drinking water from the faucet, and using water for hot beverages are a luxury compared to these families' and individual's necessity of water to survive.  

These are the individuals who walk to get there water, carrying containers on their heads and backs.  Using hours every day and placing themselves in danger to bring water to their community and families rather than being able to learn how to write, read, attend school, or care for their families. 

We all need water to survive. I hope to raise as much donations as possible so people do not continue to die from the lack of access to clean water.    

I look forward to telling you all more about my plans to raise money for clean water. I do plan to intertwine running and campaigning.

More news to come soon.

Stay Joyful,
Jess 

So much to catch up on

Hello Readers,

I know I've abandoned you once again but I promise I will try to keep in touch more often.  This semester has grabbed on to me and will not let me go.  Two months have passed already and I have so much to tell you. Basically, many of my days seem to roll into one short week.  My weeks are jam packed with classes and work; I am keeping myself busy.  Along with school I have had so much fun with friends and family.  My parents and Angel visited mid-September and my friend Sandra visited two weekends ago.  I also went back home to Wisconsin about a month ago for Angel's birthday which is always a great time when I get to see Angel. There is nothing like the comfort of your own bed as well.  So my plan for this post is to throw in some pictures of these events in my life.  If you are wondering about my running/workout schedule, yes, I did go astray; however, I began 2 weeks ago and I am going strong.

My mom and I in the kitchen where she made an amazing chicken pot pie!

First latte in Seattle, it exceeded my expectations.  

Carmella and I

We ran into some Boston fans, well they ran into us.
 The day the Pats played  the Sea hawks.
 Unfortunately, the Pats ended up losing
but the fans were happy and optimistic in the beginning. 

Joel, Carmella, and I bowling for Angel's birthday.

Angel's coolness exceeds every one's coolness by far.

Angel, Nicole, and Carmella bowling. 

Sandra, myself, and Sam at Acapulco during Sandra's visit. 

      These events in my life helped break a part the rush of school and work. I am so thankful and blessed to have friends and family who care about me and love me as much as they do.  I am forever grateful and love you all! 

       This was a quick post to update you and I look forward to updating my blog more often.  Thanksgiving break is coming up in a week and a half which I am pumped for.  I hope everyone is having a great weekend and year so far.  The fall season is slowly turning into winter and I am mentally preparing myself for the cold.  Although I feel I will never fully acclimate to the Midwest winters. 

Stay Joyful,

Jess  

Here's To You and You and You and You...

Happy Sunday Everyone,

I've survived the second week of school which is great because I can continue writing this blog.  Lucky you! No, but in all seriousness I appreciate the readers who have been keeping up on my life.  I hope my writing is somewhat entertaining, informative, and motivational to those who run or write.  Let's be real as an English major I love what I do which is writing and reading.

 For my Creative Writing poetry class this semester our professor is having us keep a journal to carry around with us at all times.  We can write our reading reactions to poems, everyday occurrences, etc. in order to reach the 3 page weekly minimum of writing.  This is not an issue for me because I regularly write my thoughts and poetry down, whether in a text message to myself, in a notebook, or on the computer.  I prefer a good old fashioned notebook and pencil myself.  I find often that I will think of lines to a poem while riding my bike or laying in bed.  These are times where I need something to write on or the idea will soon escape my mind.  

In summary, I urge you to keep a journal of some kind to get your ideas, thoughts, everyday events, times that made you happy, frustrations, and or your workout regimen onto a permanent file.  A place where you can look back and read about your own life so you won't get lost in the shuffle of our busy world.  We all know that it's a fast paced world we're living in. So I'm asking, If you don't take the time to remember and reflect on the day or even the week then what are you really living for?

Enough philosophical thoughts for one post.  I had another great week of running/working out.  I haven't mentioned before but not only do I run but I incorporate biking for about 20 minutes on Rolling Hills setting to get more of a leg workout.  I know I really should start working other parts of my body with weightlifting and ab exercises but I have not yet.  I need to build strength in my arms more specifically; push ups are definitely my weakness.  My running is summarized below:

Total Miles: 22
Word Count Goal: 1320 
Mileage Goal for Next Week:    22 or + 

 Monday, which was Labor Day, I forgot my watch at my apartment so the recording and picture is not available.  Instead I just remembered the treadmill information which was 3.1 miles in 30 minutes beginning with a 9:40 pace.  I accomplished my goal of increasing my pace that I set in my last post.  The week just got better from Monday on.          

Tuesday I ran on the treadmill for 3.5 miles after my classes, work, and a Sigma Tau Delta Meeting (English Club on campus).  I'm extremely excited for participating this year as I was only able to go Spring semester after coming back to MSUM from Massachusetts.  I am mostly excited for the International Convention which is every year in March.  So many people are gathered in one place who share the same love for reading and writing.  Creative writing pieces and critical work are presented as well as well known authors.  The last two years 5 students were able to go each year. After fund raising each person only paid 100 dollars out of pocket for 5 days in a hotel plus the plane ticket.  Well, this year the convention is in Portland, OR!  One of the places on my list that I want to visit.  So if I participate in fund raising, attending meetings, etc. I hope to be in Portland, OR in March.     

Wednesday I ran a little over 3.1 on the treadmill and biked about 10 minutes on the bike.

On Thursday my morning class was cancelled at 9:30 so I was able to run with two new friends at 8:45 in downtown Fargo.  I’m usually not a morning runner because I feel like it’s harder for me to run after 7 or so hours of laying still; another mental hill to get over.  I need to get used to the idea of running in case my week days get too busy and I’m forced to run early in the morning before my 8:30 class.  I really enjoyed running on Wednesday because I am not a regular runner around the downtown area, I usually stay in the radius of my school.  Being with other people pushed me to pick up my pace.  I ran 4 miles at a 9 minute pace instead of a 9:40 and had some great conversation at the same time!  

Now this also means that I need to maintain or increase my pace of 9 minutes because I was not pushing myself hard enough with the 9:40.  GOALS GOALS GOALS  are hard to set and even harder to beat.  But starting Monday the treadmill will be set at a 9 minute pace, promise.

On Fridays for the month of September my hours of the day are scheduled to perfection.

Class 8:30-9:20

Write Cite 9:30-12:30

Work 1:30-12:00am

This means I get up at 6 am to fit my run in, which I did.  I tried my best to maintain a pace of 9 minutes.  There’s something about waking up and running outside knowing that in most of the houses people are still sleeping while you run by.  I was thinking of my day  ahead and how blessed I am to have the opportunity to attend college and have two good jobs.  Friday mornings I will use to reflect upon life.

Saturday I worked another 10 hour shift and instead of running outside when I finished I decided to mix it up and do a round of Insanity.  I lasted about 2 and a half weeks of Insanity during this past summer before I stopped/became lazy.  This workout was a good mix up from my regular running routine.  I figured it wouldn't hurt to work other muscles on top of cardio in replace of my usual run. 

And now I've reached Sunday and the day is quickly coming to an end.  I had such a lovely day today with my sister in the beginning and friends later on.  Doing homework with Carmella is one of the blessings I have in my life.  Later on in the day my boyfriend Joel and I went over to our friend's apartment and a bunch of us made soup! I don't think we ever settled on a name, Dirty hairy foot was in the works.  Believe me it tasted much better than it sounds! We all chipped in and brought various ingredients, mostly fresh veggies, and it came out amazingly good.  It's great to spend my Sunday relaxing with good company and chit-chatting about life.  We also went to Church afterwards which I find to be the perfect way to end a weekend.  Now I'm ready for another week packed full of fun.

I hope you all had a fulfilling week and have a good week ahead of you.  If you haven't seen this video I'm going to make you smile for 46 seconds.  Enjoy!

Until next time,

Stay joyful

Jess 

          

School is Rolling

I did not post this on Sunday because technically it is still the weekend.  That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!  I hope those who had the holiday off enjoyed their three day weekend. I completed my goal of mileage this week with the info below.  The first week of school has come and gone but it has not reached the highest point of busyness just yet.  This week I start working in the Write Site which will cut 9 more hours out of my week.  I'm much better with a routine though and having a routine compiled of class, work, meetings, working out, and homework keeps me on track.  I hope to not procrastinate much this semester because then I get stressed, and who likes being stressed? Not me.  


Total Miles: 20.6
Word Count Goal: 1,236
Mileage Goal for Next Week:    20.6 or + 


My future is looking brighter and brighter with every passing day.  I have my family, friends, and God to thank for it.  I met with my advisor and switched my major to dual English and Mass Communications along with a Certificate in Publishing.  After this semester I have 10 more classes to graduate and I feel much better adding on the Mass Communications major.  I decided it was best to take advantage of the classes offered while I am still in school; especially since I declared my major two years into school.  So far I am loving my 3 Mass Communication classes and 3 English classes.  Although Summer is rapidly coming to an end I am accepting Fall with open arms.      

Things I am looking forward to this semester: 

*Family Visit: My mom, dad, and Angel visiting me the third weekend of September.  They are bringing my cats who are staying with us for 6 months.  It is going to be great to have my sisters around us again (they are 14) and to fight over which one sleeps on our bed. 


*Faith: I've recently opened my heart up to God and I look forward to learning as much as possible and devoting myself to Him.  Every day I learn something new and I have met so many new and wonderful friends who are helping me.  I am reminded constantly of  how blessed I am. 

*The Fall:  Pumpkin pie and pumpkin spiced lattes to warm me inside and out.

I love when the leaves change and the air gets crisp. 

  
The decorations for Thanksgiving and Halloween are the cutest. 




*Seattle: Trip to Seattle, WA during Fall breather.  I'm going to visit a place I've never visited before.  Exploring the town and getting coffee at as many coffee shops as possible is my plan.  

*Thanksgiving Dinner: Does this need any more explanation?  I've already bought spaghetti squash to make this week because I'm craving Thanksgiving food.  My parents will not be in Wisconsin this Thanksgiving so I do not know who I will be eating with.  Although I won't be with all of my family I have so much to be thankful for in my life.

Nicole and I during Fall Breather 2010

*Running outside: Nothing is better than taking in the scenery of the colorful leaves and decorations during a run.







After this week of running I am increasing my endurance and am looking forward to increasing my mileage.  Along with running more miles I am also going to work on my pace. This last week I ran at a pace of 9:50 and this week I am running at a pace of 9:40. Now that I am running again I have to make sure that I do not stay at a comfortable pace.  I need to push myself during times when I do not think I can keep going.  Breaking down running barriers is something I stride towards. 

Not only is running an important part of my life but I make sure to put the right fuel into my body so I can perform at my best.  Fruits and vegetables make up a large part of my diet as well as whole grains and protein from egg whites.  I am trying to cut down on my meat consumption even though I don't eat white meat a lot and I rarely eat red meat.  Through out the day I eat around 6 small meals instead of 3 large meals and I make sure to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. 

 I don't believe in diets because once a diet is over people tend to crash and over consume the foods that were previously cut out of their lives.  Another important aspect of eating  right is eating in moderation.  Of course I crave chocolate, ice cream, and cookies because I am human!  The best feeling is when I eat healthy and after a couple of weeks I no longer crave sugar as much.  Instead of candy bars or cookies I would rather have fresh fruit or oatmeal with a tablespoon of peanut butter.

The runs below are from a mixture of running on the treadmill and running outside.  Friday and Saturday took some self convincing to go for a run because of the two long shifts at work.  Afterward I always question myself why I would not want to run because I feel energized and refreshed every time.                       

Words of Wisdom:

Don't ever stop pushing yourself because you're afraid you will become tired.  Always push yourself because you want to become tired; sprinting and gasping for breath.  Pushing yourself leads to better workouts in which you improve and exceed your own expectations.  

I hope every one's September is getting off to a great start.  Whether you are starting a new semester or you're working I hope you are looking forward to the Fall just as much as I am.  If you're stressing out already (I hope not) I suggest some exercising or taking time out of the day to do something for yourself.        

Stay Joyful, 

Jess

Getting Back on the Running Horse

Hello Blog World,
I am extremely excited to write this entry, particularly because it is my first week running on a regular basis.  Yes.  I, Jess, a runner for 2 years straight, logging in over 1500 miles, went on a 3 month hiatus from running. I do not know how it got this bad, actually I do, I just did not run.  Pretty simple to fix it once you figure out the problem.  I wanted to take the time in this post to acknowledge some of those who have inspired me to run and those who continue to help me accomplish my goals. 

Total Miles: 20.1
Word Count Goal: 1,206
Mileage Goal for Next Week: 20.1 or + 

The Coffee Shop :)

Let's take it back to the Fall of 2011 when I participated in National Student Exchange through my college. I attended Bridgewater State University in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.  I was originally supposed to be in MA for a year; however, do to money (what else) and personal reasons I decided to return to my home at MSUM for the spring semester.  My time in MA went by fast and I learned a lot about myself, others, my family, and coffee.  I reached one of my goals of working in a coffee shop, which was amazing.  I am so blessed that Jared, the owner of The Better Bean Coffee Co., hired me even though he knew I was only going to be in MA for a school year.  You can imagine how bad I felt after I told him I was leaving in December instead.  I could talk about my job for hours because of the wonderful people I became friends with or just met as they bought a cup of coffee.

The road races I ran in MA.

 One person who I am truly grateful for is Doug, one of the regulars at the coffee shop.  Doug usually came in every night around 8 pm to get a cup of decaf coffee with cream and no sugar.  When we first met I mentioned to him that I was running in one of the 5Ks being arranged on campus that weekend.  From then on we found out road races were a shared love.  Thanks to Doug I ran the most road races I have in MA.  I can also thank the amazing weather the East Coast has to offer because I ran outside all the way up to December when I left.  One thing I'm going to miss when I am forced to run inside at the end of September here in Minnesota. Anyways, Doug helped me push my limits that I previously set with road races.  For some reason I had it stuck in my mind that my body can only run 3.1 miles at a time.  I was also stuck in the same pace I had for a year, an 8 minute 20 second mile.  Doug told me that your body gets used to running at a pace and that I needed to do interval training to decrease my time.

First official road race over 3.1 miles, a 5 mile race.

So I took Doug's advice and started interval training on the treadmill at the gym.  I would run my regular pace of 8 minutes and 20 seconds for 3.1 miles, ride the bike at random hill setting level 12 for 20 minutes, then I would run another 3.1 miles switching from jogging at a 10 minute pace to running at an 8 minute pace.  My work paid off because the next road race on campus was a 5K and I set my new Personal Record of a 24 minutes and 20 seconds.  I was ecstatic and ready to push myself to the next level. I set a goal for myself to run the Fargo Half Marathon in May of 2012.  I knew I had to increase my weekly mileage, or at least run more than 3.1.  I told this to Doug and he informed me about the Victoria L. Mosier 5 Mile Run in which the money went to Homes for Out Troops.  You can go to this website to check out the cause or make a donation www.homesforourtroops.org .  I loved this cause and I loved the fact that I could train for a 5 mile run which would finally push me past the comfort zone of the 5K.  I met Doug at the race and I successfully completed with a time of 39 minutes 45 seconds, which meant I also succeeded in keeping my 8 mile pace.  There is nothing like the feeling of accomplishment and that day no one could wipe the smile off of my face.  The race was actually held in Raynham, MA which is the town my aunt and uncle live in.  After the race I drove over to their house and had dinner.  I showed off the medal I got and texted my mom, dad, and sisters.  It was truly a perfect day for me.

I have so many great memories from that one semester in MA. The impact of everyone who entered my life during those short 5 months will remain with me forever. Shout out to Jacqui, Kara, Kelly H., Jared, Doug, Mark, and Kelsey K (My Better Bean Family). I hope everyone is doing good and I appreciate you for making me feel so welcome in a new environment and being great friends.  More stories to come about Bridgewater in later posts I am sure!

So, I started running this week.  I am amazed at the human body and what it can do.  I mean really think about running and how we can constantly be moving for 30 minutes for a 5K or 4 hours for a Marathon.  My first run on Monday went like this:

After not running for 3  months I was able to run a 5K on the treadmill at the Wellness Center.  I do not normally like running on the treadmill; however, running on the treadmill makes it easier for me to curb the urge to stop. I like to run outside or around the track because I get to see new surroundings every step. Below is the 5K run I also did on the treadmill on Tuesday. 

Wednesday through Saturday I ran outside because the Wellness was closed.  I pushed through and the feelings of running outside all rushed back to me.  I remembered why I love running and why I love running around the F/M area.  I cannot thank my sister Nicole enough for running with me outside most of the days.  I am so grateful to have sisters that have the same passion for working out, running, and eating healthy like I do.  Because of them I have a strong support group around me 24/7 and we can keep each other in check.  If there is a time that I do not feel like running Nicole will say to me, "Hey let's go" and I will do the same for her. TIP: If you are having a hard time beginning to exercise my advice is to also find a person or a group of people that exercise too.  You will be able to push each other like my sisters and I push each other.  If you do not have someone like that in your life you may also want to be in an environment where exercising is encouraged, such as a gym or park where others are working out or running. You will find out just being in the environment will give you a comforting feeling, a sense of belonging.          

I am having a relaxing Sunday working on this post, drinking delicious coffee, and listening to music.  I also went to Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch thrift store and bought a potato masher, a cool pair of earrings, and a couple scarfs.  (thrift stores are my weakness I am bound to buy something)  I hope you had a great week and are having a relaxing Sunday as well.    

Currently listening to Mumford and Sons-Home

Stay Joyful,

Jess