Injured-say what?

I can proudly say that I have been injury-free since my junior year of high school. Bad news: that streak ended last weekend. Sigh. As I was running my 6-mile as my training log told me to do, my knee started killing me. At mile 5 I almost skipped the last mile and went straight home but my pride made me finish. See, the problem I had was it would go in waves. One mile I would be in near tears, and then the other I felt like I had no issues at all. I try to convince myself when I run that it is just mental and nothing is really wrong, but then when the pain keeps shooting up and down I am reminded that "nothing is wrong" is inaccurate.

Turns out I may have done something to my IT band. The iliotibial (IT) band is a tough group of fibers that run along the outside of the thigh. The gluteal muscles and the tensor fascia lata muscle attach to the top, and the lower part attaches to the tibia, just below the knee. It functions primarily as a stabilizer during running and can become irritated from overuse. Which is exactly what happened to me.The pain resides on the outside part of the knee or lower thigh, often worsened by going up or down stairs, or getting out of a car. Or doing anything.

So the "knee problem" is really a IT band problem which basically means my muscle in my thigh is too tight and so it constricts on my knee. The deeper issue I am having is that I am training for this half and have too much pride to quit. I just want to run it, dang it!

I am convinced of two things:

1. If I don't run I will get fat
2. I failed if I don't finish this training.

Okay, I am smarter than those two assumptions, but I cannot help but to feel that way. I don't like not being able to do something and I want to prove myself wrong. News flash: this is not a time to prove myself anything but a time to be wise. I bought myself a foam roller and we'll see how that goes. I just can't help but to look at my training log and be sad thinking I may not get the chance to compete.

I talked to Wes Lunt about his knee injury yesterday and we were both in agreement that it is frustrating when the whole rest of your body is fine and you have one part of it that debilitates you from competing. So frustrating. So right now I'm on the mission to try to rehab back to training and still run until I cannot.

To never giving up,
Tera

Why Treadmills are Dangerous

So a couple weeks ago I began training for another half marathon. Crazy, I know. I get ambitious and think I can handle it and forget what a dedication it takes to train for 3 months. I just know how rewarding it is at the end of the race to know how hard you trained for it and to see the benefits of it. I'm not trying to win anything, but I love to challenge myself.

This week, as I've said before, we are kid/house sitting and so my schedule is completely off. I am now running at 4pm and if you've been outside this week at all, you'll know it has not been running weather at any point of the day, and even worse in the afternoons. Tuesday I thought I was going to die after my run. I laid on the ground under a fan for a good 10 minutes and Kai licked me all over thinking I was a gonner.

To solve my hot-weather-not-good-running-weather I decided I would suck it up and run on a treadmill. I've been anti-treadmills for quite some time because I don't think they translate well to the streets, I don't love the gym-vibe, and I prefer to run outside. I get board on treadmills but even worse, I get too competitive with myself. I start off at a good pace, but then keep pressing the up button on the speed because I want to go faster and faster and then all of a sudden the whole section of people running are staring at me. Why I do this to myself I will never know. I was supposed to run 4 miles yesterday and this is what happened:

The last mile I pressed the speed button every tenth of a mile and the last tenth of a mile I was going at a 10. Now, some may argue this is good for me because I am pressing myself, which I would agree but I'm not sure this is the best thing for me.

To being too competitive,
Tera

A picture is worth a thousand words

We're house/kid sitting all week so there won't be much blogging or sewing but we are having fun pretending we are parents of 3 kids, a dog, and learning what life could be like for us in 15-20 years.

I baked some cookies yesterday and Kai was really sad he couldn't partake:

To not always getting what we want, (I can't help but to sing in my head "but we get what we need"),
Tera

A Quarter of a Century

I realize this post is over a week overdue but the past week has been nuts. My birthday weekend was one of the top weekends of my life. For real. Everything I could have possibly wanted. It all started Friday afternoon with a text from Ryan that read "pack an overnight bag." I could hardly contain my excitement as I shoved clothing into a bag and and patiently awaited Ryan's arrival to go to the surprise location. I just love surprises and I loved that Ryan planned out the entire weekend and kept it a secret!

We drove to OKC Friday night and checked into our hotel in bricktown. He planned for us to eat sushi at In the Raw and then we headed to see the Red Hawks play a game. Oh did I mention that our hotel was right by the stadium? So close we could actually watch the game from our room.

We're big fans of suishi... I even got a thing to make sushi for my bday!

From our room!

We did decide it would be fun to go to the game and besides, we already had tickets, so we grabbed some dessert in concessions and cheered on the Red Hawks.

See our hotel?

We left early so I honestly don't even know if they won- but we just had fun with the entertainment and the experience of going to a game but let's hope they won!

My actual birthday was great- I woke up to Ryan bringing me breakfast in bed with mimosas. He let me open some gifts- one being a voucher for some running shoes, that he planned out a place to go to purchase them. As we got to the running store, I saw a sign that said "Whole Foods" then below it "Anthropologie". Eeeeek! What more could a girl want? We went shopping and taste-tested, and oohed and awwed at our new tennies. We ate at Saturn Grill and I will forever crave that flat bread for now on. It's probably a good thing we don't have one here or else I'd be a carbivore. And 300 pounds.

That afternoon I had an urge to watch Hunger Games and since it just came out that day it was near impossible to find. We literally went to about 10 different Red Box locations to find one- but no luck. The places that "had it" were broken. But alas, Nicole's roommate just purchased it that day and kindly let us watch. We had reservations at a fancy restaurant downtown but I was craving some Thai Cafe in Stillwater and missing my furry baby so we headed back home.

We ate so much good food that weekend, went shopping, open gifts, celebrated, etc. Ryan made me feel so loved and spoiled me soo much!

Top: Thai Cafe, Bottom left- Saturn grill, Bottom right- breakfast in bed

Sunday, my parents, Amber and Corbyn came after church to celebrate with us. It was so great to see them and celebrate with them. I love my family so much and my heart overflows when I get to spend time with them.

We went to Mexico Joes and I ate probably 6 flour tortillas myself. I swear I could live on bread alone- (Not literally, Jesus...).

To being a half a century,
Tera

My Mini-Heart Attack

After work Monday I went to Joann to pick up a few items for Sew Able. As I went over to my fabrics that I buy, I saw a little sign that read "Quilter's Show Case Print's 50% off."A little piece of me died inside. I was giddy and started piling all the fabrics I possibly could onto my shopping cart. I felt like I won a lottery! WIN! SALE! Be still, my heart.

As I headed over the cut counter, people started eyeing my cart and I got embarrassed. They started asking what I was making and I reluctantly gave in and told them. Maybe because I felt like I had to defend why I had so many fabrics, or maybe because I was proud. Either way, I was getting a good deal and was too excited to think straight.

After one hour , my fabrics are all cut. Two employees had to cut all my fabric because I had so much and I would get excited with each cut and say "Let's get more!!!". Little did I know how much it would cost...

I headed over to the cash register and as she rang up my bill I started to freak out. I am a frequent customer, known by name at Joann and my bill is usually between $1-$10. As she asked me if I had any more coupons as she knows I never buy one item without a coupon, I sadly said they were on sale and cannot be combined with my VIP discount.

As my heart raced, she told me my total was $130. WHAT!? How was I about to spend that much, on fabric? She kindly told me that I saved $147.13 and that somewhat made me feel better.

Now I have a heck of a lot of sewing to do to make up this order. I better use this 3 1/2 yards of all of these fabrics! I am excited that this should limit my many of times a week I go to Joann but then that makes me sad again. The employees all said they were sad because that means they won't see me as much but I proudly told them that I'll need some zippers or something and won't be able to stay away.

Sometimes you have to spend money to have a business. I just hate spending money. Why does it have to be so painful?

To freaking out at a cash register,
Tera

Easy Banana Bread

I love banana bread. I love it even more when we have 4 brown bananas that are about to get thrown away that turn into a yummy snack. I buy bananas every week for smoothies, but on those weeks where smoothies are not made, banana bread is!

Easy Banana Bread
Ingredients:

•  Yellow Cake Mix
• 2 Eggs
• 3-4 Overripe Bananas
• Nutella

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, smash the bananas real good. Then add the cake mix and eggs. Whip the ingredients well and then prepare a muffin tin for the mix. I used liners but you can spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray if you don't have/want liners. Spoon in a table spoon of nutella in each cupcake. Swirl it with the spoon then bake at 350° for 22-25 minute.

 I put nutella in a plastic bag, cut the corner, and used it as a frosting! Delicous!

Enjoy!

Weekend Review-Friends, Food, Family

This weekend was perfect. We got to see friends, family, eat some fantastic food, and relax. What more could you ask for? Friday, Ryan and I had a date night to Mexico Joes for their famous Margs and chips n' salsa. We enjoyed sitting right next to the Gundy's and me fighting the urge to go talk to him. I just don't want to be that person. Respecting their time? Maybe. Pride? Probably. So this was the second time we sat right next to them at a restaurant and said nothing. I justify it in my head to talk to him because I work with his players, so he needs to know me. No he doesn't. He really doesn't. Maybe if we run into them somewhere other than a restaurant. (Sigh.)

Saturday we met some of our friends in Tulsa for lunch then went to my parents house to swim and watch Gone Baby Gone. If you haven't seen it, go rent it. You'll be shocked it didn't get as famous as it deserves. It is heart-wrenching, leaving you asking what you would have done in that situation. I love suspense-filled, thought-provoking films. This is legit, people.

 
We did miss something very significant on Saturday, though. Saturday morning, my sister-in-law became a Kappa Delta! We made plans over a month ago to meet our friends in Tulsa, so we didn't cancel on them but celebrated via text message with Nicole and planned to reconvene on Sunday about the rush experience.

Sunday we went to church then did the usual get-ready-for-the-week thing, then had Nicole over for dinner and tell-us-everything-that-happened-during-rush conversation. I really don't feel like I was in her shoes 6 years ago (being a freshman, not going through rush). It feels like yesterday. It is so fun to be in Stillwater during her first year here at OSU. It's fun for me because I went to a university completely different than OSU and it is interesting to compare the difference. I am fervently praying her time here is enriching, empowering, and that it provides solid, faithful friends for her. I hope we can be an outlet for peace, confiding, and a piece of home for her. I'm thankful God as allowed us to be in the same place right now and I don't think it was a coincidence.

Me as a freshman and one of my still-best friends Kristie

 As a freshman, I started college with a nose ring, a tattoo on my foot, and a full heart to learn. I may not look much different than I did 6 years ago but I did leave college with three of the best friends a girl could ever ask for. I pray Nicole will be able to look back 6 years from now and say the same.

Back to the weekend. Sunday, after dinner, we took Kai to the dog park, because Nicole had never been, and of course she wants to see 30+ dogs playing together. We met our friend Chelsie there and one of the ugliest dogs kept sitting on her foot.

Nothing against pugs, but you had to see this pug's eyes. So so funny.

So thankful for a wonderful weekend, rest, and for the Lord's providence.

To His faithfulness,
Tera