Country Run, Pumpkins, A Country Bumpkin

I can't tell you how thrilled I am to finally blog about an actual race! I'm finally almost back to my "normal" (whatever that is), & I ran my first 5K in about a month on Saturday. A couple of months ago I got an email saying the first few people to sign up for the Country Run 5K in Fort Worth would run the race for free. Obviously, I say yes to pretty much anything free and signed up! 

Since I signed up for free, I wasn't really expecting much, but was really just excited to finally pin a bib on and run after what seemed like such a long break from organized running! Boy, was I pleasantly surprised. I picked up my race materials Friday evening, and got a super soft and comfy race shirt, fun red bandana, a cool personalized bib, & a fun hat! That in and of itself made my day! 

When I showed up Saturday morning to run, I paid $10 to park (the only money I spent besides gas to get there & back home) and went to the start line. There were surprisingly a TON of people! As a PT and runner, my heart just smiles when I see lots of people up early to exercise on Saturday mornings. The course started straight up a hill, which I hate but I know is good for me. Then, of course there was a beautiful downhill. :) The race took place around the Will Rogers Center near downtown Fort Worth (I think it's a big deal locally), and parts of the races were run through horse stables and pig pens, which was a funny touch. It made me feel like I was at the fair back home in Kansas! 

After the race was over, the runners were given a blue finisher's ribbon and a cool drawstring bag, and ushered into the Will Rogers center, where the event coordinators had set up a country fair, complete with carnival games and food, and a live cover band. I walked around and collected lots of free beverages to put in my new bag. I, of course, also got a free watermelon ICEE. All in all, I give this race 5 stars. It was well-organized, a challenging but neat course, fun "after-party", & did I mention I ran it for FREE? It was also very family-friendly, but good for competitive athletes too. I'd run it again in a heartbeat!

After the race I drove home and got ready to go to the Dallas Arboretum with a good friend who I went to college with and lives in DFW too. I had gotten many recommendations on going to the Arboretum in the fall, because the have tons of pumpkins, and I'm basically obsessed with autumn and pumpkins.

While I wanted to feel like it was a crisp autumn day, in reality it was about 90 degrees and I was sweating and wishing for water the entire time. That didn't take away from the incredible amount of pumpkins I saw! I'm going to let the photos below do the talking. :)

Playing Cinderella...because I pretend I'm a Disney Princess sometimes

 What you don't see is that the entire carriage is completely surrounded by probably hundreds or even thousands of various pumpkins.

Gorgeous infinity pool overlooking White Rock Lake

 White Rock Lake is one of my favorite places to run, so it was neat to get a different perspective of the water. I really wanted to just sit and relax in the pool, but I'm pretty sure that's frowned upon.

I call this "basic white girl sitting on pumpkin"

 These pumpkins had to weigh 100+ pounds, you guys. I'm 5'11" and literally using this guy as a chair.

Someone please find out how many varieties of pumpkins there are!

 I'd seen a few different pumpkins, but this really opened my eyes. I'm trying to figure out how people see the incredible variety of these fruits/vegetables (another question) & can't see that they are the handiwork of a Mighty Creator.

Of course they made Texas out of the friendly gourds

The Lonestar State is known for its pride, so naturally there is a giant pumpkin state of Texas with a heart where DFW is (you can barely see it if you look super close at the NE corner of the state).

So that was my fun-filled weekend! If you're ever down here, go to the Arboretum. Plan to spend some pesos though; it wasn't cheap, but I'm pretty sure you can take your own food/drink, so make a fun and educational day out of it. 

PS I'm serious, someone please find out the number of pumpkin varieties and tell me.
PPS What's your favorite season? Mine has changed many times throughout my life, but right now it's autumn. :)
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Those of you who know me know I have an addiction to shopping. It's borderline to the point of needing rehab. If you didn't know me when I was younger, you wouldn't know that I have also always loved samples of products. I remember being little and sending away in the mail for samples of shampoo, body lotion, and beauty products. They were literally the kind you get in a tiny perforated packet, but I loved them (weird, I know). Some things never change. I'm still in love with getting samples of products, so much so that I subscribe to companies who send monthly boxes of these little samples. I'd like to tell you about the two to which I currently subscribe, along with other options for those of you who may not enjoy the same things as I do! I would also like to preface this post by saying I am not sponsored or receiving monetary gain in exchange for promotion for any of the following products/services (although that would be really cool!).

The first monthly subscription service I use is Birchbox. I have been subscribing to Birchbox for about a year and a half. The way it works is: you fill out a "beauty profile" (i.e. products you like, your skin tone/complexion type, and the types of products you use or would like to use) and  for $10 every month the magical beauty fairies at Birchbox put together 5-6 samples of beauty products. Each month, they also send an email describing what will be in the upcoming month's box, along with sample choices you get to choose. Imagine my delight when I get options on samples to receive in the mail! It kind of makes my day every time...

Perks: 
-Cumulative points you can get by quickly reviewing your samples; they add up & you get to "spend" them on full-size products!
-Adorable packaging-- each month's box has a different design. I'm actually hoarding my boxes in my closet right now because someday I will need 15 small boxes for something, right?
-High quality-- Some of the sample brands I have only seen in magazines & are WAY too expensive for me to ever buy full-price, so I love feeling luxurious for the 5-6 uses I have them. ;)

What I Would Change:
-Delivery-- It takes FOREVER for the box to come. Often, it takes a week to get my box after it's been shipped, and this cost me a lipstick sample once, because it melted. :(
-More brand variety-- Oftentimes, Birchbox recycles the same samples and brands. I like to keep it fresh and try things I've never heard of before, not just a different shade of the same nail polish.

Told you...I'm a box hoarder!

The second monthly box service I subscribe to is for runners! It is called Stridebox. I couldn't decide whether or not to buy into this one, but decided to very recently and have received one box so far. I am thoroughly impressed by this service! For $15 each month, I get 7-10 samples of "runner stuff", including nutrition, apparel, and recovery items. This month I got an energy bar, some pre-run snacks, energy tea, pain cream, and several other LARGE sample products. I don't use a ton of running nutrition products, so this is handy to find which ones I should start using more. 

Perks:
-Thorough info-- I really like the card insert that describes all of the samples included in the box. For example, I received an energy bar and the card says it is best to eat the bar before or after a run; others say to use during, or anytime. It is nice to have that info for proper fueling!
-Sample sizes-- As I mentioned above, the sample sizes are enormous compared to most samples! I would even consider some of them "mini full size" because to me they are larger than samples.
-Feeling like an athlete-- Receiving these samples & the information with them makes me feel like a legit runner (maybe that's an issue to be taken care of another time) ;)

What I Would Change:
-No Points-- Unlike Birchbox, Stridebox doesn't have a cumulative points system to be used as a discount on future purchases of full-size products and I wish they did.
-I don't know what else I'd change yet, as I just became a subscriber and haven't found many flaws yet! :)

This month's Stridebox swag!

You might be saying, Jen, I HATE beauty products and I HATE running so thanks for wasting my time. To you I would say keep reading! These days, sample subscriptions have caught on and can be found in just about any realm you might be interested in. In a quick search online I found NatureBox, which is healthy snacks (um, yum!); I also found Faithbox (Christian and faith-centered items); and the WODbox (for all you cross fitters I envy and admire so much); the last "box" is Stitchfix, a monthly clothing delivery based on your clothes preferences. I have had friends who have subscribed to Stitchfix & have done some personal research myself, and have to say that at this point I'm still on the fence about it!

The jist of this post is to get out of your daily routine, buying the same deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo, and conditioner; or snacks; or workout gear; every time you go to the store. TRY NEW THINGS! Branch out! It's only 10-20 dollars a month to find new things you will likely fall in love with...so just do it!

PS With snack sample boxes, make sure they're aware of any allergies/sensitivities
PPS What are some sample companies I didn't mention that I should try?!

Balloons & Injections

I can count on one hand the number of times I've missed a running race due to sickness; in fact, I can count on one finger. It happened this morning. This post was supposed to be my very first race recap after running the Plano Balloon Festival 5K this morning. I signed up for the race a couple of months ago, and was planning to run it with a friend named Celeste, who I met through a running challenge group on Facebook. All the details were planned out, she kindly picked up my race packet, and we were ready to meet and run at 6:15 this morning. The Plano Balloon Festival includes hot air balloon launches, running events, and concerts. I was so excited to run amongst the hot air balloons, as I have never been very close to one before, and I think they look so neat!

Then, strep happened. I started noticing some congestion and pain in my chest Thursday. Then I woke up at 3 on Friday morning with a 101 degree fever. I was able to take some medicine to get my fever down and feeling up to working on Friday. I don't "do" sickness, so I was sure with continued medicine, hydration, and some sleep, I'd be perfectly fine by this morning and the 5K would go off without a hitch. Boy, was I wrong. Again, I woke up in the middle of the night with horrible fever, a headache, and a sore throat. I have always caught strep throat really easily, so I took one look into my throat, and saw the infamous pus pockets (disgusting, I know) and knew I wouldn't be running any races.

Instead of sweating under a sky of hot air balloons, I spent a couple of hours in urgent care, only to have my suspicions confirmed. I know many people are anti-antibiotic, but I felt this was the quickest route to feeling normal again. So, one rocephin shot and an azithromycin prescription later, I'm on the fast track to health again. Of course I did check with my brother (a future pharmacist) to make sure these treatments were necessary & would help me heal quickly. My mom (hi, Mom) also gave me a bountiful to-do list of natural remedies to sickness as well. 

I guess sometimes I need reminders that I'm human, and can get sick. I have another race planned next weekend, countless training runs, and in less than a month I'll be running my fourth half marathon in Omaha! As for now though, I will be spending the rest of the weekend sleeping, eating chicken soup, Netflixing (yes, it's a verb), and watching football. I promise more exciting race updates in the future! :) 

PS The doctor's office said strep is, in fact, going around in full force. So SEE a doctor ASAP if you have signs & symptoms. It's not something to let linger.
PPS Comment below with your favorite Netflix shows. I'm almost finished with Friends, so I'll need a new show soon. ;)

Twitter: @jen_being_jen   IG: @jenbeingjen 

On Thriving.

Thrive. According to dictionary.com, this word means "to prosper; be fortunate or successful; also to grow or develop vigorously; flourish." My all-time favorite band for life is Switchfoot. Whether they'll ever know it or not, their songs and lyrics have impacted me in a meaningful way. My brother & I have spent countless hours discussing words Jon Foreman & his band have written, as they are deeply thought-provoking. Many songs talk about our purpose on this earth and how we can reach others, and what we can do to grow closer to God while we wait to see Him in heaven (which, I personally can't wait for). 

One of my favorite songs by Switchfoot is "Thrive" (link to lyrics). It talks about how life can wear on your soul and sometimes you just feel like your own existence is a hoax. I would be lying if I said I don't feel like this sometimes. The first line of the song refers to fighting things I can't see. To me, this is in reference to spiritual warfare happening all around us. As a Christian, I am a pawn in battles I don't even know are going on. This is where I look to God as my strength and comfort, especially in the most trying times when I feel so "down and can't get up."

The song also talks about wanting to "thrive, not just survive." When I used to play in sports tournaments, the coaches' motto would be "survive and advance", meaning just get through one game and move on. There are some people who have adopted this attitude into their daily lives. They think just get through today, make it to tomorrow, then sleep and do it all over again. This is the absolute antithesis of thriving; in fact, it's barely classified as surviving. 

While it's normal to get into a funk sometimes, where yes, you just need to survive and make it through, this is no way to live life. I come into contact with dozens of people on a daily basis, and I can't tell you how many times people tell me "Oh, I'm just here today", or "Well, it's just another day you know". I know there are circumstances beyond your control sometimes, but when you get into a prolonged attitude of complacency, your life loses its purpose and meaning. 

For me, I do all the "fun" things I do so I feel like I'm THRIVING. Thriving looks different for everyone too, I realize. For stay-at-home moms, thriving might look different than a business man. My thriving looks like this: first and foremost serving God, then traveling as much as I can, being the best PT I can be, doing as much as I can, and saying YES to as many things as I can within reason. Ultimately, yes, I'm living for something bigger than this earth; however, as long as I'm here my philosophy is to soak it up and enjoy what I can while I can, all while waiting for the ultimate eternal vacation. 

What is your thriving? Are you living that on a daily basis; if not, what is preventing it? "A warm body doesn't mean you're alive"; I would challenge and encourage you, start thriving and stop just living day to day with a ho-hum, poor me, life is boring, attitude. Life is as exciting as you make it! 

PS If you haven't listened to Thrive, do it now. You're welcome.
PPS Comment below with how you thrive or why you're not thriving
Twitter: @jen_being_jen IG: @jenbeingjen

Jen Being Jen

This is real life. I've officially taken the plunge into the blogging world. To those of you reading this right now, thank you for spending some time & joining me on this fun & crazy journey I call my life. Also, hi Mom; you may very well be my only reader, and I know you'll be my most devoted reader, as you've always been my #1 fan (along with Dad & Jace). :) 

My plan for this blog isn't anything fancy, extravagant, or earth-shattering. I just hope to share my life and provide entertainment and/or relatable posts to other humans. I'm a 20-something, single lady trying to live a rich & fulfilling life, all while supporting my shopping & travel addictions. I have always loved using writing as an outlet, & believe it or not, I have had requests to start blogging based on social media posts, so here we go!

First and foremost, my life belongs to Jesus Christ & I exist for His glory, so there will be blog posts about God and/or scripture. Secondly, my family is very important to me, so expect to see them in the mix relatively often, as they are my 3 favorite people in the whole world! 

I'm a Doctor of Physical Therapy by trade (please don't call me Dr. Moore though); therefore, encouraging posts about health, fitness, nutrition, and links to other blogs I love regarding these subjects should be expected. I grew up an athlete all through high school, then took a break from organized fitness during college. A couple of years ago, I decided I wanted to be a "runner" and I do a lot of running events, from local 5K's to half marathons at Disney World. Race recaps are some of my favorite things to discuss, & I absolutely can't WAIT to share them with ya'll!

I thought about what blogging "niche" I wanted to try to join, and could not pick just one, so I will call this a fitness/lifestyle/Jesus-loving/travel/all of the above blog. Thanks for bearing with me through the introductory post; being from the Midwest originally, I feel proper introductions are important and promise to be more exciting in the future. With that being said, welcome to "Jen Being Jen", & welcome to my life. :)

PS Comments and constructive criticism are welcomed; please comment below!

PPS Follow me on Instagram (@jenbeingjen) & Twitter: (@jen_being_jen)