I HATE running... so of course the reasonable thing to do is run 50 races in all 50 states, right?!

And actually, it will end up being WELL over 50 races by the time I'm done... Did I mention I hate running?  You might be asking yourself, "Why would someone who hates running commit to such a lofty running goal?"  I ask myself the same thing every day (well, the three days a week that I run, anyway).  Let me start at the beginning......

Ever since I can remember, I have been extremely non-athletic.  It didn't help that there were no sports in my world (performing arts school and whatnot), unless you count dance.  Which I DO, by the way.  Think dancers aren't athletes?  Try spending an hour spinning and jumping on the tips of your blistered, bleeding toes and then get back to me with your feelings on the subject.  But I digress.  What I mean to say is I was never exposed to the world of "traditional sports", like baseball, football, basketball, etc.  My parents are both musicians, and thus had similar "creative" aspirations for their children.  I took my fair share of piano lessons, have sung in more choirs than I can count, spent hours doodling in sketch books, and of course, participated in the aforementioned torture of ballet/pointe.  But that was about the extent of my physical activity.  I have always been more content to curl up on the couch with a good book.

So as you can imagine, the annual Physical Fitness Test in my middle and high school days was always a total nightmare.  Except of course for the "Sit and Reach" (dancer flexibility! Score 1 for Emily!).  I could do maybe 2 push-ups and a handful of sit-ups, but my pull-ups consisted of hanging on the bar grunting and groaning until the test administrator realized that I wasn't physically capable of doing a pull-up and they would finally let me get down.  But the WORST was the mile run.

Don't get me wrong, I actually did try to run the mile - for a few seconds, anyway.  Then I realized that I was NOT a fan of the burning sensation in my lungs and legs, the excessive pounding in my joints, and the beads of sweat that were beginning to form on my forehead as a result of being out in the hot sun... so I stopped and walked the rest of the way.  It was a pitiful effort; I think I logged something like a 28 minute mile.  But I didn't die or pass out, so I guess they considered me "physically fit" enough to squeak by until the following year.

Fast forward 15+ years to May 2012, when I heard of the Chargers Bolt to the Q 5k.  As someone who had just started watching football a few years earlier (and as someone who was born and raised in San Diego and thus had subsequently become slightly obsessed with all things Chargers), I thought the idea of participating in a Chargers-themed event out at Qualcomm Stadium sounded fun.  There was only one problem - did I mention how much I hate running??  I have also always thought it was stupid that people would shell out money just to go somewhere and run (newsflash - you can do that for free!).  But I REALLY wanted that Chargers t-shirt and the "chance to meet and greet a San Diego Chargers player" (as advertised on the website)... Also, I think deep down, I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it; I didn't want to be the same kid from the Physical Fitness Test all those years ago, huffing and puffing my way through the 5k with a seriously mortifying 28 minute mile average pace.  I wanted to show that kid that she had the potential to be so much better than that... So I downloaded the Couch to 5k running app on my phone and told myself, "Ok, I'll just do this one race..." .

Days 1-5 of the C25K running app sounded like a piece of cake - how hard could it be to alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes?  Turns out, not that hard.  I started feeling confident, thinking, "I got this!"  But then came Day 6.  Jog for 3 minutes?  Like, all in a row???  As embarrassing as it is to admit, I struggled with that.  Big time.  And I was a MESS when a couple days later, the program called for jogging for 5 minutes!  What was this madness I had gotten myself into?!?!  Well I stuck with it, and 8 weeks later, I was able to jog for 3 miles without stopping!  I was ready to take this Chargers Bolt to the Q 5k and kick its butt!

And I did - I finished the race in 34:17, quite a change from my earlier 28 minute mile days!  I was so proud.

After the race was over, I was in a ridiculously good mood the rest of the day.  I successfully conquered a challenge I had set for myself, I had gotten to meet cornerback Quentin Jammer, and I felt positively euphoric thanks to those fabled endorphins known as a "runner's high".  In short, I was hooked.  Yeah, the actual act of running still didn't appeal to me, but it seemed to be *almost* worth it because of the way it made me feel afterwards.

Fast forward again a couple months.  My friend Arthi and I were in Seattle to attend a mutual friend's wedding, and decided at the last minute to sign up for the Over the Narrows bridge 5k in Tacoma.  It was cold and windy (perfect running conditions in my book), and the scenery was beautiful.  And to top it all off, we got a nice surprise at the end - medals!!  Who would've thought that this simple piece of plastic with a sticker on it, attached to a green and white ribbon would give birth to my new obsession:

RUNNING BLING.

This fabulous piece of unexpected hardware, coupled with those pesky running endorphins, caused me to blurt out  - "Wouldn't it be cool to run a race in every single state?"  And thus, an epic goal was created.

Since that September day in 2012, I have run races in:

ILLINOIS

Egg Shell Shuffle 5k - Elk Grove Village, IL - March 30, 2013

Yes, we ran wearing bunny ears.

WISCONSIN

 

Fiesta Cancun Burrito Biathlon 5k - Oconomowoc, WI - September 14, 2013

We had to run 2 miles, eat a burrito, then sprint to the finish... amazing.

NEVADA

 

Touchdown Run 5k - Las Vegas, NV - October 13, 2013

Representing the Chargers, of course!

FLORIDA

Wine & Dine Half Marathon - Disney World - Orlando, FL - November 9, 2013

Dressed as Winnie the Pooh and Piglet.

ALABAMA

Southeast Alabama Community Foundation 5k - Dothan, AL - February 1, 2014

Didn't realize til later on that we should've stayed for the medal ceremony - we placed in our age group!

LOUISIANA

Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon Relay - New Orleans, LA - February 2, 2014

I ran the first leg (7.8 miles), Arthi ran the second leg (5.3 miles).

INDIANA

Shamrock 5k - Yorktown, IN - March 15, 2014

We somehow tied for 3rd in our age group!

OHIO

St. Patrick's Day 4-Miler - Powell, OH - March 15, 2014

Our second race/state in one day!

MICHIGAN

Kona St. Patrick's Day Run 10k - Plymouth, MI - March 16, 2014

My first time ever being in extremely cold weather - 12 degrees!

And since I've lived here my entire life, multiple races in:

CALIFORNIA

Run for Your Lives Zombie 5k - Temecula, CA - October 20, 2012

5k mud run/obstacle course with zombies chasing you!!

Tinker Bell Half Marathon - Disneyland - Anaheim, CA - January 20, 2013

My first ever half marathon - and I did it wearing wings!!

Ridiculous Obstacle Challenge 5k - Del Mar, CA - May 11, 2013

Think of a 5k race combined with obstacles from the TV show "Wipeout"...

Chargers Bolt to the Q 5k - San Diego, CA - July 21, 2013

It was so much fun the year before that I just had to do it again.

Disneyland 10k - Anaheim, CA - August 31, 2013

My first ever 10k, dressed as Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum!

Spooktacular 5k - San Diego, CA - October 27, 2013

Dressed as a bumblebee... cuz why not?!

Awesome '80s 5k - San Diego, CA - November 2, 2013

Totally tubular.

Tinker Bell 10k - Disneyland - Anaheim, CA - January 18, 2014

Dressed as Snow White.

Tinker Bell Half Marathon - Disneyland - Anaheim, CA - January 19, 2014

Dressed as Am, one of the Siamese cats from "Lady & the Tramp" (my friend was Si).

Girls on the Go 5k - San Diego, CA - May 10, 2014

I walked this race with my mom, sister, and her 1 month old baby boy!

So why is someone who hates running planning on running a race in every state?  While I still can't pretend that I actually enjoy running, look at all the good times it has brought me!!  I've gotten the opportunity to visit all kinds of places I never thought I would go, and that's only 11 states in so far - there are still PLENTY more to come!  I've been able to accomplish things I never thought possible; I never could've imagined back when I was barely able to run for 3 minutes that 8 months later, I would be able to go 13.1 miles!  I've been able to spend quality time with friends and family, making wonderful memories that I'll cherish forever.  I've gotten to make/wear some pretty awesome running costumes.  I get to eat ALL THE FOOD (I love to eat more than almost anything).  And best of all, I have a TON of bling to show for it:

Operation: Fix My Messed-Up Teeth

For as long as I can remember, I have hated my teeth. When I was a kid, I went to an orthodontist for a consultation, and they told me my teeth could only be fixed through surgery (cutting out/pulling my lower jaw forward), and then I would have to get top and bottom braces, spacers, a bite plate, rubber bands, and headgear. All those things are absolutely DEVASTATING to a kid, so I said "Thanks, but no thanks", and was on my way.

Fast forward about 20 years later. I STILL hated my teeth...

Gross teeth, but at least I'm with David Cook. :-P

With all the new advances in technology over the years, I decided to see if any of them could work for me. In May of 2009, I went for an Invisalign consultation. I didn't get my hopes up too much, as I thought Invisalign was more for minor tooth issues, and, in my mind, what I had was a pretty major issue. But no - the orthodontist told me my smile could be perfected within a year or two! So I pulled out the credit card, put my $1700 down (ouch), tried not to think about the fact that I would be making monthly $150 payments for a year, and started with treatment.

Step One:

Spacers in between my bottom teeth to make room for Step Two...

Step Two:

An appliance with rubber bands in order to align my jaw. This step made me look suuuuuper hot, and lasted for 6 frickin' months.

I especially enjoyed how the rubber bands would occasionally snap if I opened my mouth too wide. Ow.

Step Three:

Finally time for Invisalign! (you can't really see it though, can you?!)

Step Four:

Add more Invisalign attachments onto my FRONT TEETH. If you couldn't see the aligners before, you definitely could now (this picture is without the aligners in so you can better see the hideous "tooth-colored" buttons.

Step Five:

Invisalign attachments OFF (finally), and I get a brand new shiny watermelon retainer. Holy lisp, Batman!

I look hideous today so I'm not gonna post a picture of me with the retainers in... but basically, I have to wear these retainers 24/7 for 6 months, and then I only need to wear them at night. I kinda wish I had taken close-up pictures of this whole step-by-step process, but the pics I have above are the best that I've got... so deal with it.

Stay tuned for a picture of the finished product........

Yay Gymnastics!

On Sunday, Deanna, Arthi, and I had the pleasure of seeing one of the best college gymnastics showdowns ever - UCLA vs. Georgia! I love both these teams (ok, so I love Georgia a little more), so I was very excited!

Here are my thoughts/highlights in bullet-form:


-I was super disappointed with UCLA's not one, not two, but THREE falls in the beam rotation! WTF?!


-Also disappointed with Anna Li's fall after her Tkatchev - so uncharacteristic... that thing is INSANELY sky-high though, so she definitely gets props for that.

-I have never seen Vanessa Zamarripa before, but I really like her! Might've had something to do with the fact that we were sitting behind a group of like 20 of her super enthusiastic family members... haha! But she was definitely robbed of a perfect 10 on the vault (and we were robbed of a free Pizookie, dammit!).

-Speaking of perfect 10's, Courtney McCool on beam, anyone??? I frickin' LOVE her.

-Grace Taylor is always adorable and just a beautiful balletic gymnast. Arthi still wants to put her in her pocket and take her home. LOVE her.

-And this year there was a brand new addition to Arthi's pocket collection - Hilary Mauro. She had a great meet, and she is the wee-est gymnast EVER. Seriously. She's 4'7".

-Brittani McCullough is back!

It's Brittani, bitch!

-And Courtney Kupets' vault run always makes me smile. :)

-Free ice cream!!! Woooooooooo!

-And we were among the first 500 fans, so we scored some free UCLA Bruins t-shirts!


All in all, it was an awesome meet, and Georgia ended up whooping UCLA 197.725 to 196.125. Good times. :)

And now for some bonus "Where's Waldo" pictures from the meet (although it's not as challenging as "Where's Waldo" since there are big fat red arrows pointing us out):

Separated at Birth??

I just had to write a short blog about my main focus of the Super Bowl yesterday - the fact that Mike Tomlin and Omar Epps are THE SAME FREAKIN' PERSON. I swear to god, WTF?! Has anyone ever seen the two of them in the same place at the same time??? Seriously.

I now present the stunning photographic evidence:

Enough said.

Skunk!

Ugh I am SOOO over skunks! Seriously, what is up with them?!  I've always defended them, thought they were cute, cried whenever I saw a dead one by the side of the road (ok not really... but it still would make me sad)... so why are they invading my life and making me hate them?!!?

Some of you are aware that there was a MAJOR skunking problem at my house a few months ago - we think they were living under our house, and I swear to god, our house got sprayed every single day for like a week straight. Then just as the smell would start to fade, those bastards would hit us AGAIN. We tried everything we could think of to get rid of the funk, but the only thing that worked was time. It really sucked to reek of skunk... I would be out somewhere and pull out my purse and open it, and be hit with the rankest smell ever.

Since then, things have been fairly good in the skunk department... until last night.

One of those bastards skunked my Gizmo!!! :( Now THAT is crossing the line. It was so sad, he came running into the house last night and I heard him whining and sneezing. Then he came barging into my room, went up on my bed, and started frantically wiping his face off on my comforter. I went to investigate, and his fur was yellow and wet. Honestly though, the smell wasn't really that bad... it smelled more like gasoline or something. I was like WTF, did someone throw gas on my dog?? But then I realized what it was. The best I can figure is he got skunked by a baby or something, because the smell wasn't nearly as foul as our house was a few months ago.

It was late, and I didn't have any tomato juice or anything, so I just gave him a regular bath. He was shaking sooo bad... it was the saddest thing ever. :( Eventually I got the smell mostly out... but I ended up sleeping on the couch last night because my bed still smelled foul (damn dry clean only bedding!).

Gizmo isn't much of a cuddler, but of course last night he was all over me all night long... so then I showered and everything, but I still stink. Ugh. Gizmo still smelled pretty gross this morning too, so I went to Petco and bought some de-skunking stuff, which I intend to scrub him with thoroughly when I get home today.

EMILY: 0
SKUNKS: 1

It's ON.

Why?!?! :(

I just finished reading Marley & Me... I spent the last 3 chapters with tears streaming down my face. :(

I don't know if I could handle seeing the movie... I would most definitely make a blubbering idiot out of myself. I might have to wait for it to come to DVD so I can bawl my eyes out alone in the privacy of my own home.

Congratulations, Marley & Me - first book to ever make me cry. :(

R.I.P. Chargers

The Chargers' season officially came to an end today with their 35-24 defeat by the Steelers. It's weird, I never thought I would be sad about something like this... but then when I think about it, I watched almost every single Chargers game this season... that may have been enough time for me to get invested (oh who am I kidding, I get invested in/attached to things WAAAY too fast... yeah). While I am still a LONG way from understanding anything about football, I still enjoyed the camaraderie of it all. We didn't do the whole "sports thing" at my high school, and the only sport I watch consistently is gymnastics (which is usually an individual sport), so this is the first time I've ever really rooted for a team (not counting the 5 seconds that I was obsessed with the Sacramento Kings).

So in closing, I am really proud of the Chargers - they came a lot further than most people expected them to. And I am stoked for next season, because you can bet that I will once again be sporting my kick-ass pink Cromartie jersey. ;)