25 Before 25: Accomplish a Multi-Distance Race Series (#13)

Sunday I ran the YuKan Triple Threat Challenge in Rockport, MA with Louie and his girlfriend Rachelle! The Triple Threat is a race series that consists of a 1 mile, 5K (3.1 miles), and a half marathon (13.1 miles) totaling at 17.2 miles for the day. Not going to lie, I was extremely nervous to attempt this race. I haven't been going the long distances that I should be with my training this summer (the longest I went before this race was 9 miles) so the thought of completing 17.2 was pretty daunting. Brett was an amazing support though (I love when he comes to be support crew at my races!), and reminded me that I've run a full marathon less than a year ago, so I'd definitely be able to finish this challenge, no matter how painful it may be. ...and painful it was!

The 1 mile, 5K, and the first 9 miles of the half were fine, but those last 4.1 miles felt like death. My legs hurt, I was dehydrated, I had a headache, and I honestly thought I was going to be sick, but I made it across the finish line (with some breaks to stretch my legs and walk in between - not something I like to do during races for pride reasons, haha) and got my finisher's medal. I usually see medals as awesome souvenirs to remember my accomplishments by, and it's only once in a while that I actually feel that I earn the medal, but that day I worked my booty off and definitely earned it!

I would absolutely do this race again, with a bit more training under my belt. The area is beautiful (but pretty hilly, which may have been the source of a lot of pain), YuKan is a great company, and I always have a great time running with them, even if my legs feel like falling off at the end of the race!

Check out the vlog from the day of the races below!

*I'm attempting to reach 25 goals before I reach the age of 25! Want to see the whole list? Check it out here!

Last Few Weeks of Summer

I've been soaking up what little free time I've had with Brett for the last few weeks and we've been up to some fun things! Last Saturday (July 26th) we woke up early and headed over to Foxboro to watch Patriots practice! I've never seen any NFL event in person, so it was really cool to see the guys we watch every Sunday up-close and personal. Aside from the other spectators being obnoxious (a story for another time), we had a blast!

The sun got pretty intense, so we stopped into Bass Pro Shop to wander around and cool off for a little bit. There's a shooting game in there so we had to try it out. We even made it a little interesting by placing a wager on it - whoever got the least amount of had to do pushups in the middle of the store. Check out the vlog from that day to find out who won! (You can probably tell from the thumbnail... but you should watch anyways! ;) )


Last week I took a Creativity in Counseling course as a summer elective. It was a week-long intensive, meaning I went to class for 7 hours a day for 5 days, and then it was all done! (I have the rest of this week to finish the course work, but the class is all done meeting.) I have to say it's one of my favorite classes I've taken... ever.



I went into the class with no real expectations of what it was going to be like, and came out of if with such a better understanding of myself and how to connect with the people around me. If you have the chance to engage in art therapy in any way, I highly recommend it. It has the potential to make you see things in a multitude of different perspectives.

Saturday, Brett and I went out to lunch with his friend Kyle at Szechuan Garden (#chinesebuffetlife) followed by some delicious Black Cow ice cream (which I successfully spilled all over myself when I crunched the end of the cone... typical) and a marathon Mad Men sesh (We're so close to being all caught up with the series! This is one of the only shows we'll sit down and watch together without one of us skipping ahead). It was a solid way to spend a rainy Saturday!

Brett accompanied me and acted as support crew at my race(s) on Sunday (which I will post about later in the week) which was LIFE SAVING because I was basically falling apart as I crossed the finish line at the end of the day. It was good to spend the morning with him because he had to move back to his place closer to his work in the afternoon. We won't see each other until next week at some point which is sad :( but we had a wonderful summer together with lots and lots of memories! <3

Work life will be seriously ramping up soon with trainings, retreats, and beginning of the year prep. I'm going to try to sneak in a beach day or two before retreating inside for the season, and eat as many ice cream cones as I can before the homemade ice cream stands close for the winter. I wish summer would never end, but I guess we have to have the winter (UGH) to appreciate the summer, right?

How have you been spending/how will you be spending your last few weeks of Summer?

College Survival Series: Peer Pressure

If you missed it in my previous post, I announced that I'm relaunching the College Survival Series for the month of August! Each Sunday evening I will be posting a College Survival post for all of you soon-to-be and current college students, just in time to gear up for move-in at the end of the month. Make sure you check back every week for a new topic! Now without further adieu, I give you the return of...

The College Survival Series introduces and discusses different aspects of college life, and aims to prepare college students for all situations they might encounter during their college career.

Peer Pressure

Like high school, peer pressure is a rampant issue in the college environment. It's something that every college student will have to deal with in one scenario or another, and it's important that you know what you do and do not feel comfortable with when you're placed in a situation involving peer pressure. Here are a few tips of how you can prepare for and navigate those sticky situations:

1. Know your values. Though college is a time where you really start to solidify your sense of self, you still have a solid idea of what is important to you before you even open your acceptance letter. You're going to find yourself in new situations that will test what you believe in and you may question what you feel is the best decision. Make sure you know where you stand on things such as drinking, recreational drug use, and sex, as those are some of the most common issues involving peer pressure that students will face.

2. Don't be afraid to share your views and opinions (in a respectful manner). If your beliefs on sex, the use of alcohol, drugs, or other topics are different than those of your college crew, don't be afraid to share that with them. Chances are they'll be totally cool with it. If they aren't and continue to badger you into doing something that you don't want to, they aren't being very good friends to you anyway, and you may need to ditch them until they can respect your choices.

On the flip side, make sure you're also respectful of them and their decisions. If you wind up making friends with a group that enjoys drinking and you choose to live sober, there's no reason for you to make them feel less-than.* You wouldn't appreciate them scolding you or making fun of you for not drinking, would you?

3. Make a plan. What are you going to do when you're put into these uncomfortable situations? If you're at a party and a group of your new college besties are doing something that you are absolutely not cool with, how are you going to react? What is the best way that you can make sure you stay true to yourself? These are all things that you should consider before you step onto campus. The most important thing is making sure that you are comfortable and knowing what is going to make your college experience as comfortable as possible.

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Peer pressure can always be a sticky situation, especially for first-years who may be wanting to fit in. It all really boils down to knowing what you are and aren't comfortable with and staying true to yourself. As long as you can do that, you should be fine navigating these situations!

Have additional tips or experiences involving peer pressure?
Share them in the comments!

*If you are really concerned about a friend's drinking/drug use (i.e. you feel it may be negatively affecting their life and the lives of the people around them) and you aren't sure what to do, talk to a counselor on your campus about how you can talk to them (without giving their identity away). College students can develop addictions, and if you are truly concerned, make sure you express your feelings with that individual in a private and respectful way that is safe for the individual in question.