"How is married life?"

Tomorrow marks 4 whole months of wedded bliss!  People are constantly asking me "how is married life?"  I think this is such a silly question.  The only difference in married life is that I have a new last name and an additional ring on my finger. Other than that, it hasn't changed a bit.  It is exactly how engaged life was which was the same as dating life. I always wonder what people expect me to say when they ask me that question.

I have a pretty amazing husband.  In the 11 years we have been together we have not had one argument.  We have never raised our voices at each other <in a mean way>, never slammed doors, or never went to bed mad at one another.  I know this definitely makes us in the minority and I cherish that we are so perfect for one another.

People say that being happily married takes work.  Is this true?  I think so, but the "work" is nothing new to us.  Most advice that people have given me are things we have been doing the 6+ years of living together.  During the 4 months of being married, here is my expert advice and the things I think are super important in our relationship (right now)..in no particular order..

1. Listen- Life is stressful and I need my husband to be the person I vent to.  No matter what the subject he listens without interrupting, offers advice (when I ask), and doesn't judge (no matter if I'm right or wrong).  I think he can say that I do the exact same thing for him. 
2. Have Time Apart: I think it is important in every relationship for couples to have time apart.  It allows us to keep our own identify as well as appreciate the time I have with him.  We often have girls/guys nights out where we hang out with our friends.  Being attached at the hip is NOT healthy for a relationship.  
3. Date - Life is hectic.  It is so easy to get in that day to day routine.  Get up, go to work, go work out, cook dinner, watch TV, go to bed... rinse and repeat.  That routine can get old really fast so we try to have a date night once every few weeks.  Sometimes it's just the 2 of us while other times we go out with other couples.  The point is to get out of the house and do something fun!  
4. Common Interests-  I think our relationship strengthens every time we spend time together on a common activity.  We love cruising, scuba diving, Tank (our English Bulldog), and the Dallas Cowboys. 
5. Be Polite and Smile-  I try my hardest to greet Brandon with a smile every day after work. It sounds silly but saying "please" and "thank you" goes a long way in the Micek household as well. We are both extremely positive people and will continue to be that way because we CHOSE to be.  Life is too short to be negative. 
6. Communicate- Talking is something I am very good at so I've never had a problem with this. :)  Brandon and I constantly talk about our lives together.  We talk about frustrations, money, traveling,   problems, the future, family, etc.  We don't hide things from one another and always talk about things that are bothering us.  

Needless to say, this list could go on and on and on! There is so much that goes into having a successful marriage.  I am excited to learn more about myself as a wife and work on becoming the perfect partner for my husband. I am looking forward to the next 50+ years with the man of my dreams!

Chicago Bound!

I've been researching the Chicago Marathon for a while, but hadn't fully convinced myself to sign up.  Sadly, I am kind of a "bandwagon" runner and need people to encourage and ask me to join them for races.  I don't think I would ever run a race by myself. Do I have to always run with someone side by side? No.  But knowing I am going to see some of my friends after I cross the finish line is motivation enough. 

So, when my friend Liza sent out a group email asking who was going to run Chicago I took that as my sign that I needed to register!  Registration opened for the race on February 1st.  I signed up February 5th and the race sold out on February 6th.  WOW!  6 days and the race was sold out.  I squeaked getting in the race by one day. I took that as a positive sign. So, October 7th I will officially be running my second marathon.

I was beyond excited to find out 5 of my runner friends will be running as well.  These are the crazy people that will be joining me on this adventure...

Erik and Michelle (Team K), Vi, Ben, and Liza

These 5 friends are seasoned runners who are amazingly strong mentally and physically.  They all motivate me and I can't wait to run with them (well actually, far behind them b/c I'm the slowest of the bunch.. but that's ok!)

I have even persuaded my awesome husband to join us on this trip!  He will be on the sidelines to cheer us on and thinking about how "crazy" we are to actually want to run that far.  He still doesn't understand the whole distance running fascination.

So, we are going to make it an early 1 year anniversary trip!  We are going to spend a few days before the race touring Chicago and seeing the sights.  We realized that the only vacations we have ever been to tropical places.  There are SO many places that we want to see so this is step 1 in broadening our traveling horizons.  

I sure am starting the new year off with a bang!

2 months until my first full marathon and 233 days until my second!

  

Sweaty Hugs and Sweaty Pictures

I love hugs.  I love giving them.  I love receiving them.  As a teacher I think this is a positive thing because I am bombarded with students daily who want to give me hugs.  Hugs are an aspect of my job that I will never get tired of.

I love hugging my husband.  Nothing makes me feel more secure than being in his arms. There is one time that I won't even let him touch me though.  That time is... after a race or long run.  I sweat..... A LOT, and the idea of having him touch or hug me while I am all sweaty just bothers me.  I know he loves me unconditionally (sweat and all) but for some reason I cannot get over this.  The second I get home from running I am hopping in the shower.

But somehow one of the traditions we (race friends) have is to take pre and post race pictures. During these pictures we are shoulder to shoulder and have our arms around each other. You would think that hugging fellow sweaty running buddies would be an issue for me but no... I love it!  I love our picture time at races.  13.1 mile run and sweat just dripping off your body.. perfect time for a picture!! Maybe I am still on my "runner's high" and it hasn't sunk in how disgusting I look on the outside.  Whatever it is, I love it. After a race it is fun walking around to see what running friends you can find.  You always greet them with a sweaty hug.  It's normal and completely acceptable!

Looking back at my pictures I noticed that I have quite a few "sweaty" post race pictures. Here are some of my favorites.  I have saved a few of my absolute favorites to share for my next blog and you will hear why...!

Let the training begin...

As of today I am 3 weeks into marathon training.  So far.. so good!  Knock on wood.  I am injury free and enjoying the training experience.  We will see if I have the same upbeat, positive attitude in a few weeks.

I am not going to go through my runs day by day because that would BORE you to death.  Instead, I want to note some memorable times that I have had.

• Candace and I were set to start training together on a Tuesday. We had 6 easy miles on the schedule and we were SO pumped about out first run.  This just so happened to be one of the few days in Plano that it was raining cats and dogs.  So we decide to meet at the rec center to run around the track.  Little did we know but the track upstairs is small and 10 laps = 1 mile.  Do you think we turned around and went home?  Heck no!  We ran around that track 60 times!  Candace, being the multi-tasker, was able to keep track of the laps  It made for some amazing people watching and an interesting start to our training experience.

• There have been 2 times where I have had to run by myself.  I am proud to say that I did both 5 mile runs and didn't get bored.  My ability to run by myself is getting stronger. It sounds silly, but I'm proud of myself for that.  I would like to thank iTunes for providing my entertainment.  I have some interesting songs on my iPod such as: Flo Rida, Kesha, Nelly, Black Eyed Peas, Eminem, Pitbull, LMFAO, Snoop Dogg, Kenny Chesney... and the list goes on and on.  If you were to drive past me, you would see me lip syncing to every song.  I occasionally throw in some motions (drumming, head nods, etc) as well.  I bet I am entertaining to watch, but I don't care.  I'm getting my miles in!

• So far my weekly mileage has been:
• Week 1: 18 miles
• Week 2: 26 miles
• Week 3: 28 miles

• For the next 11 Sundays I will be running a half marathon or more.  That seems so crazy to me right now but I think in time, it is going to be the new "normal."  I must admit that running the long runs on Sundays in a group is so motivating.  The miles seem to go quickly and every week we run a new route so it changes the scenery.    

The only sad part about this training is the inability to attend boot camp as often.  In 3 weeks I have only been to boot camp 2 times.  If you know me, you know how dedicated I have been to boot camp for the past 4 years.  I miss my boot camp friends like crazy.  I also miss the work outs.  My legs have been taking a beating the past few weeks but my arms and abs feel flabby. Beggars can't be choosers though....I'll just suck it up!

Money, Money, Money!!

I know I promised that I was going to write about my first few weeks of marathon training but first, I need to vent.  So beware....

No one ever warned me how expensive marathon training was going to be!!  Holy crap!  I would like to break down what I have spent the past month and a half just so you non-runners can get an idea of what I'm up against!

$205- Run On marathon training
$200- 2 new pairs of running shoes (1 for long runs on Sundays and 1 for short runs during the week)
$140- Garmin 405
$50 - New iPod shuffle
$80- Big D marathon registration
$10- Headlamp to attach to my visor for 6am runs (clumsy me needs one!)
$15- Hydrapouch that I carry on my SPI belt so I can drink water and powerade at the breaks                  
$35 - 24 pack of Gu
$20 - 2 new pairs of socks


That is all that I can think of right now. I know throughout the next few months I am going to be spending a lot more.  I have a small obsession with work out clothes.  I think I have more work out clothes than I do work clothes!  Plus, I know I am going to have to get a cute outfit to wear the day of the race.

Yes, that seems like a lot of money BUT... I know that the outcome of a first marathon experience is going to be extremely memorable.  I am very fortunate to have a supportive husband who is standing by me every step of the way.  He hasn't complained once about how much money I am spending and I love him for that.  He hasn't one complained about the hours I am spending training a week instead of being at home.  I have been told that communication is the key to a successful marriage. I definitely talked with Brandon before I made this financial commitment.  Without him, this whole experience would not be the same and I want him to be apart of it.  I picked myself a good man!

After all is said and done.... I can be like a corny MasterCard commercial and say that after every cent has been paid to prepare for the race....

My First marathon experience- PRICELESS!!!!!!!

The decision is made!

I distinctly remember telling my boot camp friends (Liza, Vi, and Toni) that I have absolutely no desire to run a full marathon. I saw how much and how long they ran and was amazed at how strong they were mentally and physically.  I envy those ladies and always will! They are the ones who motivated me to complete my first race. But I was happy and content with running my half marathons and not needing to take an ice bath afterwards and not needing to take the next day off of work.  I lead a simple life!  I liked half marathons so why rock the boat?!

Then I had breakfast with my childhood friend Candace.  I will spare you all of the talks and text messages that we sent back and forth for a few days.  Long story short, we wanted to train and run both of our FIRST full marathons together.  I mean, why not?!  We have been friends since 2nd grade! Candace is set to move in June so I knew that this had to happen quickly.  With my obsession over researching things, we decided to train with Run On and to run the Big D marathon on April 15th.

"Big D Marathon?!  Are you sure you want to do that race!" is probably the phrase we have heard the most in the past 2 weeks.  Yes, we know that it is not a very popular race and has the potential of being hot and humid.  I think the training on top of playing softball in the extreme heat and humidity for 12 years will help us though!    The main reason we want to run in Dallas is for support.  I know I want my husband at the finish line ready to hug and congratulate me <hint, hint babe!>  I want my family and friends to have the option to come cheer me on as well.  I know without their support there would be no way I will be able to accomplish this goal.

After signing up, I went to the marathon training information session.  It was here that I had this "oh s***, what am I getting myself into" moment.  The coach showed us the training program by week and all I saw was miles, miles, and more miles of running!  We start off at an "easy" 26 miles of running for the week and hit our peak at a 45 mile week.  That is SO....MUCH...RUNNING!  Immediately I started questioning this big decision.  Can I do this?  Am I strong enough?  What if I get injured?  What if I can't finish the race? I realized then that it is going to be a life style change.

It became apparent that I was going to have to

•  run 4-5 times a week (compared to maybe once a week that I had been doing...OOPS!).
• get a lot more sleep than I had been getting
• eat better.  If you know me, you know that this is going to be the hardest challenge.
• drink A LOT more water
• have no more fun Saturday nights since I have to get up at 4:30 to go on Sunday long runs
• spend a lot of money buying running gear
• be a good running buddy to Candace and depend on her to keep me motivated

All on top of trying to be the best wife and teacher I can be.   I got this!! 

What makes it more fun is that I am sharing this journey with my co-workers AND my students.  They are all aware that I am training and my students ask me all the time "did you win the race yet?!"  I have to keep reminding them that it is not about winning or losing, it is about accomplishing my goal!  I think that is too profound for their 8-9 year old brains though... they just want me to win.

Be prepared for the first week of torture... I mean... training and the weight loss I have had so far....!

And the journey begins...

I blame starting this blog on Facebook.  Facebook has allowed me to keep tabs on all of my high school, college, and work "friends".  I admit that I am a Facebook stalker.  I enjoy reading statuses, looking at pictures, and knowing all of the TMI drama that some people put out there for the world to see.  Shame on you guys!  There is one unfortunate trend that I see way too often on Facebook though, and that is.....weight gain. That dreaded topic for so many women.

I am so jealous of those people that don't gain weight no matter what they eat and how little they exercise.  (My husband being one of them).  I simply look at a cheeseburger and I gain 2 pounds.  It's not fair! I was one of those unmotivated soul's that gained over 30 pounds in my first few years in college.So yes,  I used to be one of those girls you would see on Facebook and say "Wow... she has changed!"  That's just a nice way of saying "Wow.. she has gotten big!"  Instead of sitting on my fat butt and complaining, I did something about it!  I went to the gym, got a personal trainer, and then started attending boot camp.  Nothing annoys me more than people complaining about their weight and then sitting on their butts eating pizza, Twinkies, and drinking soda. I have no sympathy for you whatsoever.

After making many observations on Facebook and reading an article in a bridal magazine, it became apparent that many women gain weight after getting married.  Why, you ask?  They don't need to date anymore. They don't have a tiny wedding dress to fit into.   And they get to use all of those kitchen appliances they got as wedding gifts to cook, cook, and cook!

November 5, 2011 was the happiest day of my life.  I married my high school sweetheart, Brandon.  After we got back from our honeymoon and looked on the scale I noticed that I had already gained 5 pounds.  Two weeks in Hawaii will do that to you, I guess.  My first thought was "Oh no!  I am becoming a statistic!" So I promised myself right then and there that I would NOT become a newlywed statistic.  I will not gain weight my first 2 years of marriage!

This blog is going to be about my life as a newlywed keeping that promise. Like any challenge, there are going to be ups and downs along the way but I am ready to face them head on.  A majority of the blog is going to be about the marathon that I am training for in April and the physical and mental problems and successes I have.  I will save that introduction for the next post though! :)