Half marathon

I did it!!!! After all of the let downs and moments of disappointment, I finally completed my first half marathon. No, it's not the full 26 miles as I had originally hoped... but I made it half way there, and with all the set backs I've experienced lately, those 13 odd miles felt like a huge accomplishment.

Getting ready to leave for the race

Leading up to the race my knee had felt great. I was finally able to start training again and was running about 20 miles a week. So, with some positive thinking I decided to sign up for the half marathon in the City to Surf race. City to Surf is put on each year by Chevron and is a huge event for Perth. Literally thousands of people show up to run the 4k, 12k, half marathon or full marathon.

I was a little apprehensive about signing up, having flash backs from walking nearly half of the HBF run for a reason 14K. But I decided I would just go for it and hope for the best. Tuesday I went running and my stupid IT band decided to flare up again, with only a few days before the big race. I knew I would have to rest it until race day or else I wouldn't be crossing the finish line.

I went to see the remedial massage therapist... who tried to loosen up my IT band (ouch!!). Then did lots of stretching using this tube roller thing, which freaking kills. It's like taking a rolling pin to your legs and pushing as hard as you can... basically a way of ironing out all those tight muscles. I even had my IT band taped by Rock Tape. Not sure how the tape works.. but even if it was a placebo effect, I thought it was worth a try.
We got to the start of the race at around 7:45. The race started at 8:30. I did lots of stretching and said many silent prayers that my knee would hold up for the race.
I got to run with one of my best mates, Mel Robinson. :) She has been my training buddy and also recently over came a hip fracture... all due to running. Yes, running is hard on your body, but it is awesome and one of the best feelings in the world.

The race course was soooo hilly. Lots of steep climbs! Poor Mel got sick at about 4 miles and forced me to go on without her as she hung back a ways. It was hard leaving my wing woman behind. :( I had been taking it easy up until then, hoping that my knee would cooperate. Once I got to about mile 5 I decided I might as well give it all i've got and not hold back! So from then on I booked it, running a pace of 7 min 30 seconds a mile and was able to stay at about 8 minutes 30 seconds a mile on the steep up hill climbs... putting my heart 100% into crossing that finish line. I would rather cross the finish line limping knowing I gave it my all rather than take it easy.

Tired and sweaty at the finish line!

I crossed the finish line at 2 hours and 7 minutes without stopping (except for a few brief stops to shoot back some H2O). Wow what an amazing feeling. Words cannot express how I felt in that moment. It was an amazing feeling having Brandon cheering for me at the finish line... He has been so supportive and has really helped encourage me to complete me goal. I even got a little choked up reaching the finish line!

After the race I got a complementary massage at the Barrick tent. Thanks Barrick!

And then met up with Mel. What a gal.. She is my hero. Despite feeling horribly ill, she finished the race! That's my girl. Proud of you Mel. :)

It was an amazing day!!!! After all the hard work, sweat and tears put into running... I finally did it! and I can't wait to do it again... and hopefully soon, run the full marathon! Call me crazy, but I love it! I am so grateful for my health. I know I have been blessed. I have definitely learned a thing or two about patience and perseverance over these past 6 months. :)

crossing the finish line!

Brandon's travels

Brandon just got home from Africa on Friday. Yay! I'm so glad he is home. I've missed having my hubby around. I thought I would share some pictures from his adventures in Africa and in Papua New Guinea. Enjoy!

My personal favourite! haha

Brandon with his chimp child Dominique. I think he looks like a dad here. Very cute :)

Brandon eating a caterpillar. Yuk!

Exploring the jungle Indiana Jones style

Exploration camp in Papua New Guinea

Toys, Toys, Toys!

Just incase you didn't believe me about my new obsession...... Check out the new buys I got today! Pig Goes Pop, Mr. and Mrs Potato Head, fishing game, play dough activity, mini Guess Who, doctor set and toy register.... all of which (minus the pig goes pop) was on sale, so it ended up being quite the bargin! Did I mention that I love resources?!?! Think that should cure my obsession for a least a few months. Can't wait to hit up the 'All a Dollar' shops in the US! :)

A new obsession

With the end of uni in sight and having started as a therapy assistant at Next Challenge. I decided it was time to get organized and start preparing for the big bad working world!
Initially I was going back and forth torn between working with kids or adults once I graduate. After finishing my prac at Next Challenge and being hired on as a therapy assistant, I decided I definitely wanted to work with kids. Therapy with kids just comes easier to me for some reason. Maybe because I'm still a kid at heart (which I will prove to you as you continue reading this post). I also decided my ultimate goal down the road is to open my own private clinic for kids, maybe I can even get my sis, who is majoring in OT, to join me one day. :)

Brandon bought me a new desk a few weeks ago. I guess he was a little tired of having all my stuff sprawled out across the dining room table. This gave me the nudge I needed to get my butt in gear and get organized. After completing 3 semesters of full time uni, and 6 pracs there was lots of paper work lying around.

The new desk!

I gathered all of my resources. labeled them and put them nicely organized into the plastic drawers.
Organized the book shelf. The bottom row is all my stuff from uni over the past year and a half.

And organized my binders!

I had slowly gathered a few things here and there over the course of my 6 different pracs and I had started to build a nice collection of resources. I love buying resources. Especially stuff for kids. I'm a sucker for toys and all types of kid supplies really. Having decided that I want to eventually open my own clinic in the future, gave me even more of a reason to start stocking up on the resources. Which has now become my new obsession.... Buying resources! I would take shopping for resources over clothes shopping (even shoe shopping) any day, hands down. So for the past week I have been organizing my old resources and stocking up on a few new things here and there.

My arts and crafts collection!

My book collection (all from thrift shops and discount book stores)

My toy collection.... right now its just felt story boards, play dough and bowling pins. pretty pathetic at the moment. But tomorrow I'm going to go scope out 'pop up pirate', 'guess who' and 'don't break the ice'. All of which are on my top list for therapy games.

Yesterday I bought this little kitchen set for way cheap at Target. I was so excited about buying this it almost felt like Christmas!

If you area little confused as to why a speech pathologist would need toys and kids supplies let me clarify. I've heard this many times "Speech pathologists just work with lisps and stutters right," so what's with the toys? Well, first off if you've ever worked with kids before you know very well that they need to be entertained and motivated or you are going to get no where. (I have recently gained a HUGE appreciation for teachers). Secondly, we don't just work with speech. We also work with language, comprehension and literacy skills.... which requires resources!

I also bought reward items for my kids at prac and my clients at work.

And I printed off some reward sticker charts!

Oh how I love resources!!!!! To be continued...

Ouch!!!

While on the path towards completing my new years resolution, to run a marathon, I have had my fair share of bumps along the way and have learned a few valuable lessons.....
October of last year I started getting in shape with the hopes of completing my very first marathon. I had always loved running and had eventually wanted to run a marathon. By new years I was 100% dedicated to completing my goal.

Failure #1- I signed up for my first half marathon in March. By February I had my first taste of what it feels like to be a runner injured. I started pushing it too hard too early on and wound up injuring my right knee. It became so painful that I couldn't run more than a couple miles. Went in to see a physio (physical therapist) and was told that my knee was running off track and that the cartilage was rubbing against the bone.... The physio tried tapping my knee to see if that would help to stabilize my knee cap. I was also told that I needed to strengthen my glut muscles to help take pressure off of my knees. Sigh. So I was out from running for a good couple months.

So I decided to postpone the race. However, I signed up to do the full marathon on June 19th. I even bought new running shoes, as I was told this is the number one thing that causes injuries.

Failure #2 In May, once again I injured my right knee. Same part of my knee, but this time it was far worse. The pain had tripled! Went to see a different physio this time and was told that I had injured my IT band which is a very common problem for runners. The physio was convinced that my right leg was longer than my left, which was causing my right knee to jet out to compensate for the length difference. I was told I need orthotics for the left side to even out the height difference (yes I'm a freak!). He put some extra padding in my shoe for the time being and had me test it out. On top of seeing a physio therapist I tried acupuncture and remedial massage. It seemed to help for awhile but the pain would gradually creep it's way back creating havoic.

A couple weeks later I signed up to do the HBF 14 km run for a reason. Which brings me to Failure #3... I am quite embarrassed to say this but I had to walk, literally walk, a good portion of the race because my knee hurt so bad. At this point there is no way to describe what I was feeling other than pure disappointment and discouragement. Physically, mentally I was there 100% but my knee was holding me back. Failure #4 I had to drop out of the marathon on June 19th

It's been nearly 6 months since I was first injured and 9 months since I started training. Despite the failures I am trying to stay positive and am still determined to one day accomplish my goal. I have been trying to rest my knee and have been focusing on exercises that are easier on the knees such as spinning and swimming. Which I really enjoy. I recently read a book called 'Ultramarathon Man, confessions of an all night runner.' That book seriously inspired me. I have never felt so pumped and motivated about running before. I highly recommend it to anyone! I couldn't put it down. Dean Karnaze is my hero!!!!

I've also come to the conclusion that my new running shoes have been a huge source of the problem. I had bought my new running shoes a week before my second injury struck...Hence the reason my second injury came on so much quicker and was so much worse. My new running shoes had extra padding to help cushion my feet while running... sounds like a good option right? However, I think it actually changed my running position, putting even more strain on my knee. So I have resorted back to using my old running shoes, that are nice and worn down, meaning no extra padding. My knee still isn't 100% but it is getting better.

The new Saucony womens running shoes. Very pretty.

My trusty adidas shoes purchased from Costco. Not so pretty.

I have been reading a lot on barefoot running... which is considered a huge debate in the running world. Summed up, the theory behind this is that human bodies were physically designed to run. By getting the spiffy, extra cushiony shoes you are actually altering the way your body normally runs... leading to most injuries. Having witnessed this first hand with my new shoes, I must admit it makes sense to me. I won't bore you to death with details from the debate. Here is the website if you would like to learn more about it. The idea is that people need to go back to the basics and teach their bodies how to run naturally. Of course most people can't go running around barefoot, so the next closest thing are vibrams, also known as the five finger shoes. Yes I will admit they look ridiculous. But I have met numerous people who completely swear by them and since buying them have become injury free. And at this point after buying new shoes, having my knee tapped, getting orthotics, having needles jabbed into my leg and getting weekly treatments of remedial massage, I'm willing to look a little 'silly' and try something new. What have I got to lose!

Valuable lessons I have learned:

1. Do not let failure hold you back from something you truly love
2. New doesn't always mean better
3. Sometimes you have to try new things before you find the right fit
4. ITB injury=a runners worst nightmare
5. Costco is the best
6. Running is a highly addictive, invigorating, frustrating, exhilarating, liberating sport!!!!

Exciting times!

I'm back in the blogging groove! I'm still playing catch up, but my goal after this entry is to try to stay up to date with everything. There have been some exiting past events I thought I would catch you up on. But before I start..... (drum roll please) exciting news #1, is Brandon and I will be coming home to Salt Lake for a visit in September! Brandon is flying to the US to attend a conference in Elko Nevada, and they are allowing me to fly with him business class for FREE! I won't be attending the conference in Elko with Brandon.... so I get 2 1/2 full weeks to spend at home surrounded by family and friends. I'm so excited! Also, my brother in-law gets home in August so it will be our first time in two years having the whole Reese clan together. Can't wait! :)

*Exciting times in July*

A few weeks ago I got to see the musical Wicked! If any of you haven't seen it, it is wicked good and I highly recommend it. I love all the songs (I'm a sucker for musicals) and it is just so dang witty. I love how they tie everything into the wizard of oz. For those of you who don't know the story background... it is suppose to be the untold story of Oz and what happened in the beginning. I loved it SO much, that I had to go back and see it the following week! My friend Dionne, who is a die hard Wicked fan, told me about the wicked lottery. You put your name into a lottery drawing and if your name is drawn you win 2 up close seats to see Wicked for $35.00 each. Normal tickets are usually around $100.00, so it is a freaking awesome deal. So Dannii, Cody, Brandon and I decided to try our luck a the lotto. Dannii was lucky and won 2 tickets.. Unfortunately Brandon and I weren't so lucky... However my friend Dionne won (yet again) and was kind enough to give us her tickets. Bless her cotton socks! I loved it. I'm already planning my next entry in the Wicked lottery... although I'm not sure how keen Brandon is on the whole idea of going to see it again. I guess I have until September to convince him!

Wicked little Ozians! Oh and we got cool green slushies in a glowing cup!

The next exciting event that took place in July, was a last minute getaway to Pemberton and Margaret River a couple weeks ago. The Williams' and Brandon and I decided it was due time to get away. Uni had started back up, work was going full force for Brandon and he was finally home for a weekend, so we decided why not. We didn't have any plans set in stone, other than we were going to have an awesome time! We left friday afternoon and took a 5 hour drive down to Pemberton and spent the night in an old fashion villa fully equipped with a hot tub! Dannii and I spent the drive crocheting and playing words with friends (best iphone app ever!) while the boys talked about cars, and computers (boy things). Once we got there we had dinner at a little pub (the only thing open in town), witnessed some drunk karaoke (always entertaining) and heading back to the spa. It was a fun, relaxing night.

In the morning we attempted the 200 ft tree climb..... Yikes!

Dannii and Cody
Yes I climbed this!

After watching a 7 year old climb down, I tried to put on a brave face... thinking it would be NO BIG deal. As you can see there is no harness to keep you from falling to your death and no netting underneath to catch you. There is only netting on the side. Half way up I was seriously shaking in my boots and hyperventilating. Unfortunately there were people behind me so there was no turning back. I just had to repeat positive thoughts and take deep breaths until I made it to the top!
Once I finally made it up there (which felt like AGES), a spectacular view awaited me. It was some-what worth it... although I don't know if I would be brave enough to do it again.

Next up was visiting Mammoth Cave just outside of Margaret River. Followed by sweets from the Candy Cow and Chocolate Factory... then we continued our long drive home. It was the perfect little get away full of adventure!

The next (probably most) exciting thing I would now like to share/ show off. Is my adorable little niece Maddeline Beth Kendall. Technically by blood I am not her relative, but I think this little bean knows just how much I love her. So at heart I am just like an auntie. She was born on 11/07/2011 and is pure perfection. You did well Jade and Doug! Last sunday was her baby blessing and she looked like a little angel all dressed in white. She is such a good baby and loves to give cuddles... oh and did I mention I love to give her LOTS of cuddles.

Jade and Maddi with her two aunties! Love you. xx

Rottnest Island

G'Day family and friends!
Trying to play catch up here on the blog. I had promised to blog while on my mid year break... but that didn't exactly happen. Unfortunately uni started back up last week. I am taking my last 3 units this semester and then graduation here I come! I finish classes the second week of October and finish up my last prac second week in December. Then I am officially a certified speech pathologist (in Australia that is). Then after filling out some paper work and doing some ASHA (American speech and hearing association) requirements I will also be a certified speech pathologist in the US as well. I couldn't be more excited to (1) be done with uni FOREVER and (2) to start working doing something I absolutely love. Which reminds me of some exciting news I thought I would share. My previous prac, Next Challenge, hired me as a therapy assistant. Then once I graduate I will hopefully transition into a speech pathologist for them. Next Challenge is a private clinic for kids. I work on a team with OT's, Physical Therapists (or as they like to call them here- Physios) and other speech pathologists (or as they like to call us-Speechies). I love the Next Challenge team and am so excited to be a part of it. I officially start seeing clients tomorrow. :) Yay! Brandon is busy as always. He was promoted as a Regional Industrial Hygiene Superintendent and is traveling up a storm. He just got back from Papua New Guinea and is getting ready to fly to Africa next week. Then after that he is heading to Saudi Arabia (which freaks me out a little). So proud of my hard working hubby. That's enough updates for now...

Brandon and I decided that we would take turns planning our anniversary. Last year Brandon did all the planning, so this year it was up to me. I decided to take Brandon on a surprise trip to Rottnest Island, which is a 20-30 minute boat trip from Perth. We have been wanting to go there ever since we moved here, but could never find the time to make it happen. I didn't finish exams until the June 13th, and our anniversary was June 11th... Also, Brandon was traveling at the time so I had to postpone the trip until the following weekend. It was a perfect getaway and I loved getting to spend some quality time with my man.

Unfortunately it is the middle of winter here... also known as the 'wet season', for good reason. You never know when rain will strike. We were praying for good weather, but weren't going to let bad weather rain on our parade.... It was pretty overcast in the morning, but we were told that it is usually clearer on the island, so we tried to stay optimistic. Guess our positive thinking back fired because just as we got into Rottnest it started pouring rain.... and I mean literally pouring bucket loads of rain. We were absolutely drenched (that's what we get for forgetting an umbrella, silly us) and it wouldn't be the last time!!! It was pretty funny. Within 20 minutes it cleared up and the rest of the day was beautiful!

Our little villa for the weekend (the last one on the right)

Sunrise from our balcony

I love lighthouses

Rotto
Brandon was originally planning on becoming a pilot and did a years worth of study as a flight major. Although he transitioned into a completely different field he still has a love for flying, and eventually wants to get his pilots license. We decided to take a short plane ride around rottnest so Brandon could relive his flying days. I had never been in a small plane before and what was even cooler was I got to ride co-pilot. The view was absolutely amazing! I loved looking down at the ocean and seeing all the different shades of blue.

I got to sit co-pilot

Plane ride around rottnest

View from the plane

Bike ride
My Favorite part of the rottnest trip was bike riding around the island. We hired bikes on the island and spent all of Sunday riding around and exploring the island. I loved going and exploring all the hidden beaches and visiting the lighthouses. The island is massive... and by the end we were both completely exhausted and sore.

And yet again.... we got caught in a huge rain storm and were drenched

Last but not least we got to see 'quokkas' which are only found on Rottnest island. When people first came to rottnest they thought the island was infested with rats, hence the name rottnest. But they were actually, cute little quokkas. They remind me of a mix between a wallaby and a guinea pig. They are adorable... I'm try to convince Brandon to let me have one as a pet, if it's even possible.

Happy 3 Year Anniversary babe!
I love you xoxox