+to me you are the sea, fast as you can be, and deep the shade of blue

Mary Love and Ben's wedding was the final wedding of the year - capping off a Spring and Summer full of celebrations of love. And this one went out with a beautiful bang. Had to share these photos. Look! Devon and I DO stay in Nashville some weekends!

Asking Devon to take photos. 

This.

+all things go, all things go

It happened again - this Marathon-bug thing is definitely contagious. The Chicago Marathon was such a good race to run. If I could do it all over again, I absolutely would. My training began back on June 4th - the first week of working Orientation back in Nashville. So much of my training runs parallels my adjustment time of moving and working and adjusting to a new life here. Then, the culminating race which included a brand new adventure to a city I have never been in before. It's been a great 4-5 months commitment and I serioulsy am looking forward to another one. I know it's early to say that, but this race was different than the first marathon I ran. No, I didn't take any of those lessons less seriously, but this time around, I ate better, I trained smarter, and I didn't get injured at all. I put on a few pounds because I needed some more muscle. That's a mental hurdle in and of itself.

I will never get over how much I need people in my life. Never ever ever. Running can be such a loner's sport, but that doesn't mean that it's lonely. Most of my training was done by my lonesome (out of choice, too). But I did get to dabble with the East Nasty Running Group runs this Summer and it was a highlight of training to run into Jordan (during her half-marathon training). It was great to run some miles with Kelsey during her visit and it was just nice to have people like Sarah, Devon, Kelsey, Greta, and so on who always knew I was in the midst of training and were sweet to plan around it or ask about it. This time around training was a lot lower key. More miles, actually, but a lot less need to talk about them. In fact, I think I may surprise people from time to time when I say I run, because I just don't talk about it as much. It's just sewn into the fabric of my everyday, and I love it.

Below is a pictoral storybook of Chicago-land with Devon, our friend James, and the Holladays! After figuring out all of the logistics for such an epic run, I think it's time to set my sights back on Nashville and run a local race... we'll see.



Night before marathon carbo-loading-deliciousness.

Dawn on race day in Grant Park

The Holladays with their amazing signs.

The Devon getting to see me run for the 1st time!

The view from Mile 1

Saying Hi at Mile 14(ish?) and on my way!

Happy and carefree at Mile 18ish

The view in Chinatown, Mile 21ish

Best. Spectators. Ever.

The last 100 M.

There's the finish!

And the swag.

So cold, but so happy!

Beth bundling me up in her coat and the space blanket.

What a crazy way to run a marathon and to see Chicago!

Next morning began with THIS!

Lincoln Park exploring



Devon and I with our kind Host for the weekend. With a place to stay, maps, and Chicago-knowledege he may have saved the day a million times!



I loved all the local signs cheering on runners.

The Bean



Devon sliding down a sculpture?

Holladays!

Sisters!

Friendly graffiti.



More fun with the Bean



and more!



It looks like a spaceship to me.



Trying Garrett's Popcorn



Just happy to be adventuring.



Meet up with grad school friends at Hopleaf!

+we're alive, alive, alive and we're singing

Kelsey reminded me the other day that identifying yourself as a runner isn't' something you do overnight. Identity is developed and it takes a while to live into the title. After she mentioned it, I started to think about when I decided I was a runner - timely as I sit three days out from running my second marathon.

Surely running regularly over the course of a year or more signifies you're a runner. Or buying five or more running shoes within the year. Or maybe it's the gear - running shorts, the armband, the water bottle attached to the wrist gadget. Maybe it's reading the blogs or talking about it. Maybe, but I don't think so.

To be honest, I still don't exactly feel like a runner. Not most days. That may sound odd, but as I've told some of you that read this, training for a long distance race means three weekdays of running and one long run on the weekend. Calculate that out? 3 days a week where I sit around (okay, sometimes I lift weights, go to pilates or go on a bike ride, but not all that regularly). I know logically that going on long runs every weekend is not what everyone does, but it has become such a part of my life, that it feels sort of... normal. Like I assume everyone does it too. Not in a haughty way, but in the same way you assume everyone you know takes hot showers, has air conditioning, or has enough money to eat. When you're doing something regularly, it becomes second nature. You can get used to anything, can't you?

Is this where identity kicks in? You're studying all the time and going to class and that is your normal so you are suddenly a self-identified student. You have a big party, invite all your friends and family, sign a legal document and now you self-identify as married. Some things may be black and white, I guess - like motherhood, marriage, or age. But some things seem gray - like adulthood, expert-status... oh, I feel like I'm babbling.

Maybe it doesn't ever matter if I self-identify as a runner. I think in most people's eyes I am. It's just a curious topic. And all I can think about is this marathon. Man, I'm ready to get to the start line already... because I'm a runner.

+only love can dig you out of this

A Minnesotan in Tennessee? This is too good to be true! I have never been so excited to have one in town (just wait til February when there are at LEAST 3 Minnesotans in Nashville...). A pictorial account:

Our first venture? Kelsey experiences Frothy Monkey Coffeehouse right after landing in Nashville, TN. 

The real fun begins... painting my apartment. Kelsey and Jessi - the apartment color? Sharkskin.

The end result! (Living Room)

The bedroom color - Balsam

Post painting glory - Free Coffee Day at Krispy Kreme!

and more!

An outing (post-painting, still) to Arrington Vineyards!

A final day downtown - Jacks BBQ and Nashville sight-seeing!

+slow it down [and] come back to bed, rest your arms and rest your legs

• The quarter of a century birthday was fabulous. Simple. Calm. No big hurrah but just how it should be.
• I survived the dentist and ensuing dental work - I may have sounded like I'd gotten involved in a street altercation, but luckily I didn't get a black eye from it. And it turns out my dentist is hilarious and kind.
• The week after the longest run in marathon training (20 miles) is always the hardest week to find motivation to run. This past week and the next two are just tapering weeks. Which is heavenly. More time to lift weights, less mornings of waking up early. More relaxation. And a lot of excitement in anticipation of the moment we get on the road to Chicago. 
• Devon got a new plaid shirt for engagement photos. That is a real sentence in my life lately.
• We registered for a step stool. For me. To reach high places. We scanned it at Bed Bath and Beyond and then Devon did a little jig and hugged me for being a little person. I hope I remember those details when we're old.

+where you invest your love, you invest your life

My week has been rough. In a good way - in a growing way, but we all know that growing pains exist even if they are for the best. Things kept going the wrong way. Timing was wrong or decisions were wrong or conversations were wrong or you name it. There were little bursts of sunshine, like chillin' with Sarah on coffee dates galore. There were the worst of storm clouds like dental visits and getting shots. Then there was just the packed schedule that was this past week. I have felt like I have let others down because of all the things crammed into my days, but I have been earnest and honest and that's all you can really ask.

I realized that there are some things that will always make my day regardless of the week before or the week ahead and those things include: understanding, warm and clean sheets on the bed, the endorphins and food that follow the longest runs, a car full of gas, a kitchen full of food (with fresh-from-the-CSA-of-a-friend-veggies), the start of life groups and learning new lessons (thanks Kristine & Cliff!), parents in town for my birthday, trying new Nashville eateries, and ending a loving night at church around a fire pit - cooking s'mores, poking around at conversation.