Scatterthoughts

The past week has been hectic. Not crazy-busy-no-time-to-sleep hectic, but a nice sort of busy that keeps work interesting and life on its toes. I like it.

On Tuesday, I took Ben to the airport to fly to San Francisco. For real this time. And while I'm beyond excited for him and can't wait to visit, SF is really, really far away...

On Wednesday, I also hopped on a plane, headed north, and attended another med school interview. The school was super impressive, and I really enjoyed my time there (minus the cold, of course).

Speaking of med school: this process is driving me bonkers. Patience has never been my strong point (understatement?), and my anticipation is practically tangible.

On a happy note: my parents came to visit! Although I get to see them far more now than when I lived in Switzerland, I still don't see them as often as I'd like! I documented our visit with a new app my mom introduced my to: Camera+. I was never able to get into the whole Instagram craze-- it's almost too retro, if that makes sense-- but Camera+ strikes a nice balance. I like it!

1. warm enough for daffodils?  the durham farmer's market says yes!
2. lovely new candle that smells like the beach
3. bright happy toes (to hide marathon-induced bruises, of course)
4. love, love, love, love love.

1. red bud trees = impending spring?   2. matching stripes.
3. baby aloe vera plant

sarah p. duke gardens: even lovely in january!

Spring Race Schedule

It's funny how races tend to accumulate. I clearly remember thinking, sometime in November, that after the Kiawah Marathon, I wouldn't have anything to train for. I had absolutely nothing on tap for 2012, and had no idea what my spring race calendar would look like.

Fast forward a couple months. I'm now planning on (and registered for!) three half marathons in three months, and possibly a full in June as well.

Crazy? Yeah, probably, but this is the way I see it: next year, when I start medical school, my life will most likely revolve around studying, sleeping, and eating. While I'll definitely stay active, I have a feeling it will be more like let's-run-a-5k active than let's-run-a-marathon active. Thus, I my as well do heaps of long distance running now, while I have time and energy on my side. (At the very least, this is what I tell myself to justify race entry fees...)

But anyway! Spring race schedule! Let's go!

1. Disney Princess Half Marathon
This has been on my "running bucket list" (yes, I have a running bucket list...) for years now. All women run? Through Disney World? In tutus? Sign me up! When my amazing friend Suzanne mentioned she was doing this race, it took all of 2.4 seconds for me to decided to do it with her. True, it's a bit pricey, and true, it's a bit of a logistical nightmare, but....it's Disney! So, so, so excited.

2. DC Rock n' Roll Half Marathon
While Disney is going to be a fun/silly/fantabulous run, DC is going to be my chance to give it all I've got. I'm thinking sub-1:50....but we shall see.

3. Kentucky Derby Half Marathon
My dad's run this several times and only has good things to say. This time, when he mentioned he was signing up to run it again, I decided to join him. The last time my dad and I ran together, I walked away with a shiny new PR, so I'm hoping this race will bring on some faster times as well :)

4. Undetermined June Marathon
I still haven't signed up for a June Marathon, so I'm not 100% sold on this. To be honest, the Kiawah Marathon left me tired, sore, and a bit burnt out. I love running, but I'm not sure I have it in me-- physically or mentally-- to take on another 26.2 just yet.

Of course, if I am going to run another Marathon, I should probably do it now, before starting med school, so we shall see!

Two Thousand Eleven

When I started this post, I intended to only focus on 11 events. I wanted to call my post "11 for 2011", much in the way I called last year's year-in-review "10 for 2010."

But you know what?  12 months, 7 countries, 4 road races, and 1 move across the Atlantic is a lot to condense into 11 bullet points. So I didn't. 

I know this is probably lengthy, and yeah, maybe boring too, but I hate the thought of forgetting any of the awesomeness that was 2011, and I know someday I'll look back on this post and smile.

So, without further ado: 2011. 

January

-Skiied in the new year at Craans Montana. Discovered an undying love Fondue Neuchateloise, Alpine skiing, and Swiss snow. 

-Spent the remainder of January making soup, imaging beads in gels, and wishing I was skiing while actually studying every free moment for the MCAT. 

-(Finally) took the MCAT in London, and rewarded myself with a trip to the Museum of Natural Science (why yes, I am a dork) and a West End Play. I love London. 

skiing in the new year

london. one of my all-time favorite cities. 

February 

-SKIIIIIIIING!

-What with the MCAT out of the way, decided to fully concentrate on skiing as much as possible: a trip to Interlaken with the Hamners, another trip to Interlaken with some EPFL friends, and my first foray into cross-country skiing, which ended in an absurd amount of bruises. 

-I also ate a lot of cheese, imaged more beads in gels, started my med school application, and thought about running, but decided it was entirely too cold. All in all, it was a great month.

interlaken with friends!

interlaken with the hamners!

adventures in cross-country skiing. 

wine and cheese. yum. 

March

-Probably the winner for the busiest month of year.

-Finished off the ski season with a fantastic trip to Saas Fee. While the trip wasn't perfect (no hot water), it was sunny and snowy and made me wish I could always live 2 hours away from perfect skiing. 

-Lisbon! In retrospect, one of my favorite cities in Europe. Sunny skies, gorgeous castles, ocean views, and a crazy-awesome garden. I also ran the Lisbon Half Marathon, my first race in almost 3 years, and re-discovered my love for long-distance running. 

-Budapest! A great conference in another awesome city. Highlight of the trip: The Hungarian Opera House. So, so cool. 

saas fee. perfect skiing. 

sintra! a wonderful city just outside of lisbon. 

me + ben, capa de roca, portugal

hungarian opera house. 

April

-Recovered from the craziness of March: lots and lots and lots of time in lab. The microscope becomes my new best friend.

-Springtime in Switzerland! Hikes, picnics, and day trips! I also begin training for the Geneva Half Marathon, which I stubbornly decided would be run in two hours or less. 

awesome rope swing on a trail near lausanne. 

paddle boating in annecy. 

annecy, france. 

May

Visitors!

-Kathleen and Zack visit Lausanne! Lots of fondue eating, sight seeing, and day tripping. We also took a trip to (where else?) Interlaken, which included a Lake Thun cruise and a canyoning adventure!

-Mom and Dad visit Lausanne! Dad, Ben, and I ran the Geneva Half Marathon (sub 2 = success!), spent a gorgeous weekend in Annecy, and took a wonderful mini-Vacation to northern Italy.

-Frantically tried to finish my research, accepted a job at Duke Hospital for the following year, and prepared my med school primary application. 

kathleen and zack visit lausanne!

canyoning in interlaken!

geneva half marathon-- a great race and my current PR!

cinque terre, italy. 

June

--Took one last Swiss adventure to Interlaken (I'm obsessed), where Ben and I attempted to climb Schilthorn and were thwarted by snow. 

-Submitted my med school application, returned to the US of A, moved to Durham, set up a new apartment, and went to a wedding. A bit less glamorous, perhaps, but still crazy busy. 

one last swiss hike. 

July

-SECONDARIES. Wrote approximately 3249238049238234092389 essays for med school secondary applications. 

-Fantastic road trip to Mississippi for a wedding! Decided that a) Mississippi is very far from North Carolina and b) I have the best friends in the entire world.

-Spent a gorgeous weekend at Ocean Isle with Ben and his family. Sun, sand, and jigsaw puzzles.

ben + me, riding a trolly in jackson, mississippi

August

-Signed up for the Kiawah Marathon, and somehow convinced four friends to do it with me!

-A bit of traveling: to Houston, to finally meet my new baby niece, and to Charleston, to visit Ben.

(Apparently, I didn't take any photos in August. That's unfortunate.)

September

-Dove head first into my research, and loved it. Transplant immunology is fascinating. 

-Interviews! I began interviewing for medical, and proceeded to get even more excited about the next four years. 

-Celebrated my three year anniversary with Ben with a zip-lining adventure.

ziplining! 

October

-More interviews, more travelling, more research. Busy Vanessa.

-Durham Ramblin' Rose Half Marathon! Four minutes shy of a PR, but considering the hills, a fantastic race. 

-Mom comes to visit! Delicious dinners, movie watching, a little shopping, and seeing the fantastic musical Rock of Ages. Good times.

a great day trip to hanging rock state park with my sweet friend hannah.
it's not the alps, but it's still super lovely!

durham ramblin' rose half.  hilly course.

November 

-Re-learned how time consuming Marathon training is. Also re-learned how much I love long-distance running. 

-Hosted some of my best Duke friends for a weekend in Durham-- lots of yummy food, late night chats, and cheering on Duke basketball. 

-A wonderful Thanksgiving in Kentucky with Ben + my family.

forever duke. 

December

-KIAWAH ISLAND MARATHON! 26.2 is awesome. It's tough, but it's awesome. 

-A wonderful Christmas in Kentucky chased by New Year's in Charleston. Amazing, amazing year.

kiawah island marathon. 26.2 miles of amazingness. 

Race Report: Kiawah Island Marathon

The highlights:

• Marathon number TWO! 26.2 is always an accomplishment in my book.
  
  
• PR and goal (almost) met. Going into the race, I was little unsure of what to expect. My first marathon left me with a stress fracture, a lot of tears, and a time that started with a "6", so I didn't exactly have an obvious goal.
  
  After a bit of thought, I decided my goals were 1) 4:30:00 and 2) finishing with a smile. While I didn't exactly make goal number one (five seconds! seriously?!), goal number two was a definitely success! 

aren't space blankets attractive? me + b post-race. 

• Racing with people I love. Although I love running in all conditions, sharing races with friends is pretty spectacular. 

me, amy, maggie. these girls are incredible. 

me + b, tired and happy. 

• Perfect weather. 55 degrees. Overcast. Slight sea breeze. YES.
  
• Fuel Success! Lately, I've been having a lot of stomach issues while running. I don't do well with Gu, Sports Jelly Beans feel like pebbles in my tummy, and I've never been able to properly digest "real" food while running. Unfortunately, I also can't make it longer than 16 miles without consuming some sort of calories, and knew that I needed a decent fueling strategy come race day.
  
  The night before the marathon, I broke a golden rule of racing and bought a pack of Shot Blocks for the first time. I had absolutely no idea how my body would react to them, but I (a bit recklessly) decided to run with them anyway.
  
  They. Are. Amazing. Perfect fuel, easy to digest, no stomach problems, and they even taste good. Success!
  
• I have fast friends. My friends are amazing. Out of or lovely group, Ben and Maggie came in at 3:32, Amy finished around 3:20, and my childhood friend Patrick came in fourth overall at 2:29 (!!!!!!). Although it's always fun to cheer on friends, it's even better when they're superstar athletes!

amazing friends. 

• Mile 25. There is nothing like reaching mile 25 in a marathon, only to see your dad and boyfriend (who, I might add, just finished the half and full marathon, respectively), there waiting for you, ready to run with you for that last tough mile.
  
  Although Dad and Ben both ducked out right before the last 0.2, their encouragement definitely helped me to kick it in and chase down the finish line. 

finish line sprint! 

The not-so-highlights: 

• I wasn't crazy about the course. Between the island location and fantastic reviews, I had pretty high expectations. I also think my bar was already set ridiculously high-- my first marathon was in Florence, Italy. From glancing at the course map, I was fairly certain the course wound through marshes, a few residential areas, and had a few nice long stretches along the Atlantic.
  
  This was not true. Although there were a few marshes (and even a "Caution: Alligators" sign!) the course was almost entirely residential. Instead of running by the beach, we ran by houses facing (and blocking) the beach.
  
  The course was also two repeats of a 13 mile loop-- essentially, the half-marathoners did the loop once, and the full runners did it twice. While there are definitely benefits to knowing what's coming next, I still found myself a little bored in the second half.
  
•  The mind for a marathon.  I'll be blunt-- I got bored.
  
  The first half was amazing. There were lots of supporters, I was surrounded by scads of runners, and I was constantly excited to see what was coming next (and to see if I could spot an alligator. That would be so cool!)
  
  When I saw my half split (2:04:xx), I know I probably went out to strong, but I also didn't really care-- I felt great!
  
  The second half, however? Not so much. As soon as I rounded the 13 mile mark, the happy group of runners beside veered toward the half marathon finish line, and I found myself suddenly alone. I knew exactly what to expect of the course, and the race day thrill started to ebb away. I even started listening to music, something which, although entertaining, always slows me down.
  
  To be honest, the second half didn't really feel like race at all. It felt like another long training run, another set of miles to log, and another loop to push myself through. It wasn't until I hit mile 25 (and saw my dad and Ben!) that it fully hit me: Holy Moly! I'm about to finish a marathon! Although it was nice how smoothly the miles flowed, I did miss the "marathon mindset"-- and the adrenaline and speed that accompany it! 

Nevertheless, overall, it was an amazing day. Yes, I lost steam towards the end. Yes, I probably good have trained a lot smarter. And yes, there were about a million times during the final few miles when I told myself I would never, ever do this again.

But you know what? For all the times I felt like simply giving in, there were countless more when I realized just how much I honestly love running.

I loved the sound of my feet hitting the pavement.

I loved running where I could smell the sea.

And I loved, loved, loved the moment of finally seeing the finish line. I did it!

out incredible group-- what a wonderful weekend!

What are knees, again?

Four days after the 2011 Kiawah Marathon and I'm still struggling with stairs.

Full recap to come, but for now, a fairly accurate representation of what life is like the day after a marathon. Especially the lady with the socks. That was totally me. 

Marathon Eve Eve

The day after tomorrow, I'm running a marathon.

I cannot believe I just typed that. A marathon! Me! In less than 48 hours!

Even thought this is marathon number 2, I by no means feel like a marathon veteran. My first marathon was a long, grueling challenge. I was under-trained,  under-motivated, and honestly only crossed the finish line because I didn't think I'd ever find my friends again if I didn't. It was a disaster, and I promised myself I'd never put myself through that sort of torture again. I'd stick to half marathons-- 13.1 miles of long-distance bliss-- and save full marathons for the truly crazy.

with ben, in 2008, post marathon. that's
most definitely a fake smile.

Yet here I am. About to set off for Kiawah Island, South Carolina, and about to give 26.2 a second chance.

About a zillion thoughts are rushing through my head right now:

Did I put in enough miles? What about that long run I missed? Was my training enough?

What pace should I strive for? Is 9:30 too ambitious? Those crazy race calculators say I can finish in 4:10:39. That seems nuts!

I really want to run in shorts and a dry-fit tee. Am I going to freeze? If I wear leggings, will I swelter? Is it bad a purchase a super-cheap sweatshirt at a thrift store with the sole purpose of chucking it a few miles into the race, when I start to heat up?

I hope it doesn't rain!

My current fueling plan is bagel + nutella + gatorade for breakfast, and a Balance bar to munch on during the race. I hope that's enough. I've had a lot of stomach issues during running lately, and I'm worried my stomach's going to flare up again.

Music? No music? Watch? No Watch?

I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M RUNNING A MARATHON!

I feel nervous, excited, anxious, hyper, hydrated, and, yes, a little bit scared. But no matter what, I'm determined to have fun, soak it all in, and remember why I love running so much in the first place. And cross the finish line. That too.

Frames on the Walls and a Christmas Tree

For the most part, my little apartment needs a lot of work. It's furnished and clean, but aside from an awesome green tea kettle and some lovely throw pillows, it's not really decorated, and there definitely aren't things on the walls.

At least, there weren't until a few days ago.

oh hello, decorations! nice to meet you. 

After months of claiming I would eventually do something about my gazillion blank walls, I finally grabbed a hammer and hung a few photos. It's nothing super-classy-- the frames are from the Dollar Store, and the photos were taken on my dear little Canon point-and-shoot. But I like it! It's simple, it's clean, and it reminds me of some of the (in my opinion) most beautiful places on earth.

The photos I chose:

interlaken, switzerland. aka, my favorite place in the entire world.
hands down. 

vineyards near lausanne, switzerland. 

annecy, france.  

annecy, france. 

Also, if you were looking super-carefully at that first photo, you might have noticed:

my christmas tree!

It's way larger (5.5''!) than I was planning on getting (and planning on carrying up 2 flights of stairs!), but I love my new little tree. It's wonderfully real, smells like Christmas, and a perfect holiday addition to my little home.

so far, only lights, but I may add a few ornaments soon.