This Book is Really Long and Really Good

If you read nothing else in this post, read this: Don't judge a book by its cover.

I did at first, because let's be honest: the cover is kind of weird. Not bad, just not really my cup of tea. With all the darkness and the hooded figure. But oh my gosh. I'd easily say one of the top 3 books I've read this year.

Here's how I describe the book to Jordan: 
Think the epicness of George RR Martin's Game of Thrones without all the sex and cursing.

My friend Natalie recommended the book and even let me borrow her copy. I've had it for months now, because this book is a hoss. Seriously, we're talking over 600 pages! It's huge. But it's so good.

The Name of the Wind is part 1 of a trilogy that tells the story of a boy named Kvothe. The story starts off when Kvothe is a grown man, but the majority of the book is Kvothe telling his story to a chronicler, who has come looking for Kvothe to find out the truth behind the legends and rumors that are told about him.

There's adventure, romance, magic, dragons, and mystery. The writing is solid, and the story is unique. It's a huge book, but it moved quickly once I got into it. There's really too much to describe here; you just need to go read it for yourself. I'm excited to read book 2, although I've heard it's not quite as good as book 1. Mostly because I guess there's a weird part with a fairy...? I'll have to let you know. Book 3 isn't out yet, although hopefully it will be soon.

And if you need another reason to read this book, I think I'm in love with the author, Patrick Rothfuss. He's hilarious! I was checking out his blog earlier this week and came across this fantastic post he wrote titled "If I Mail You My Book, Will You Sign It?" where he includes a flow chart that is just too funny. So take a look at that if nothing else. I love an author with a sense of humor and a love for tacos.

Have any of you read this book?

What's the last book you judged by its cover?

How to Start Running | Part 7: Running FAQs

Part 1 | Adjusting Your Mind-Set

Part 2 | Getting Your Gear

Part 3 | Setting a Training Schedule

Part 4 | Avoiding Injury

Part 5 | Fuel & Nutrition

Part 6 | My Favorite Running Podcasts

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Here we are. The last post in my "how to start running" series. I took a month off, and now I'm back with the final hurrah. This series has been so fun for me, and I hope it has been helpful and fun for you guys too. I went back through the posts and commented back directly on my blog to questions that were asked, so if you asked me something during those first few posts, check back!

For this last post, I just wanted round out the series by answering a few frequently asked questions. These are some I see and hear a lot that I want to touch on briefly. Of course, if there's anything you still want to know, feel free to email me! Or leave a comment, and I'll answer it! (And I'm not done with running posts by any means, so don't worry. I have a "what to wear to run in 20-degree weather" post planned next in my queue.)

1. My shorts ride up while I'm running! Is this normal? What can I do to fix this?

I am thankful to say I've never personally had this problem, but for those of you who do, know that you aren't alone! There are actually a lot of people this happens to. If you've tried different pairs of shorts and they still aren't working, try wearing some capris. Or spandex with shorts on top if you don't want to show off your cheeks for all to see. You could also try a running skirt. I haven't worn one, but I know a lot of people who love them.  If you have found a good solution to this problem, leave a comment and share your knowledge!

2. I've tried running, but I always get so bored! How do you make it not so boring?

Honestly, listening to podcasts is the main thing that helps me keep it interesting.
You can check out my top 5 favorite podcasts for running if you missed that in part 6. Here are a few other things to try, which you've probably heard before but they're all true:
-Run a new route
-Run hills
-Run speedwork on the track
-Run with a friend

The main thing, though, is to try to just enjoy the run. Mentally, you have to be positive. Don't think of it as a chore. Think of it as a time for you to be alone, get some perspective, let your mind wander to whatever it wants to wander to. Where else do can you get that kind of solitude? In a day when people can't go two minutes without checking Twitter (I'm looking at myself here), I think it's good to have a hobby that involves some quality alone time. Being alone doesn't have to be boring, but that's a post for another day.

*I will add that sometimes running is boring. Those are the runs that make you want to throw out your running shoes forever. But the next one is always better, so don't give up!

3. It's so hard to get started running. How do I keep motivation?

First of all, I suggest you read this post from one of my favorite running bloggers on how running is never really easy. She says that if it were actually that easy, everyone would be doing it. But they aren't.

So yeah. You need to realize that it's not going to be easy. Sometimes it's going to royally suck. The main thing that helps is to take baby steps. I talked about this in part 1. The main reason people fizzle out (in my opinion) is because they don't realize how long it actually takes to build up stamina and endurance so you can run a mile or two without feeling like death. Because you will feel like death for a while, and you have to be patient.

Like I mentioned in part 3, setting a schedule, another way to keep motivation up is to actually sign up for a race. My friend Justine started running for I think 20 seconds at a time. Maybe it was even shorter than that. She kept going, adding running time, working toward her 2-mile goal race. She ran it. 

Then she ran the Color Run with me a month or two after that! We ran the entire time! I'm super proud of her. Having that original 2-mile goal race was the motivation for her to keep going, and likewise having a goal race in mind will keep you going on those days you really don't want to get out there.

If you have any good tips about how to keep motivation going, leave a comment! We've all been there.

4. Most marathon and half marathon training plans I see recommend running 4-5 times a week. Why do you only run 3 days a week?

Some of you think I'm a complete nut job for training for a marathon running only three days a week with no cross-training. I would agree with you, but I've been following a 3-day a week schedule for about 2 years now, and I love it. I don't feel like I am burned out by running, and I also don't feel like running takes over my entire life. Even when I'm training for a marathon, I don't feel like it takes a ton of time.

I have no other proof that my plan isn't too crazy than by telling you I trained 3 days/week and beat my goal marathon time by a full 15 minutes, so I don't at all feel like I am doing myself a disservice by "only" running 3 days a week. I also haven't been injured. KNOCK ON WOOD. I had a few blisters, but other than that I haven't had any problems.

The only thing I will say is that I don't do any real speedwork or tempo runs, and if you really want to get faster--like, really get faster--you probably need to be running more than three times a week. That's just not where my goals are right now, and for me, keeping it fun and something I want to do instead of something I have to do is most important, so I'm sticking to my 3 days a week schedule for now.

5. I hear a lot of people talk about compression socks. What are those? Do you use them?

I talked about my compression sleeves in my post on 6 tips for faster postrun recovery. Long story short, I do not like wearing compression socks to run in. A lot of people use them. I've tried it, and I don't like it. It's personal preference. I DO, however, love wearing my compression sleeves after a run for recovery. I absolutely notice a difference. You should get some.

6. What headband are you wearing in your race photos?

It's a Bondiband. I talked about it more in this post. You really need one of these if you don't have one already. And by one, I mean five. You need five.

7. My half marathon training plan says to only run a longest run of 10 miles. But that's another 5k left to add on! Will I really be ready?

Most half marathon plans have you top out at 10 miles. Marathon training plans have you running 20 miles. That's an entire 5k or 10k to tack onto the end of the longest run you've ever done, and at first that sounds scary. But if you can run those distances, you will be completely fine for your full race. At that point it's not about the distance but about the training you've put in during the weeks and months before the race.

Trust the schedule, trust the training, and you will cross that finish line!

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Sooo.... that's it!

If you have any more questions, feel free to email me.

Please share this series with anyone you know who's wanting to start running.

Let's encourage each other!

I hope you enjoyed this series and maybe met some new running friends through the featured running bloggers. 

Until next time, happy running!

*I am not a personal trainer or physician. This post is not intended to offer medical advice. Contact your doctor before beginning a fitness routine or if you experience pain while exercising.

Where Did You Get Your Christmas Cards This Year?

One of the pictures from our Christmas card photo shoot taken by my friend Leanna.

boots from Khol's | shirt from Loft

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My mother and I have an obsession with Shutterfly that would rival that of a crack addict. It's a serious problem. I have photo books falling out my ears in a not-quite-literal-but-still-serious way.

I usually get my Christmas cards from Shutterfly, but last year I noticed that more than a few people sent out the same style of card. If you know me in real life (or if you read this post), you know that I HATE matching. Ergo, I decided that this year I would not get cards from Shutterfly, because apparently everyone on my card list gets cards there. Not that that's a bad thing, but I wanted to see if I could find something different this time.

This year I ordered from Minted, and I am in love with our card! It's so awesome. I'll show it to you in due time, but based on the preliminary results of my survey, a good number of people who know me in real life read this blog, and I don't want to spoil the surprise. Let's just say I found something on Pinterest that I bought Jordan and I to wear for our Christmas card, and it's epic. (It's not what we're wearing in the above picture, which, while cute, is not epic.)

Minted recently launched their holiday card collection for 2013, and they have some amazing designs. Here are a few of my favorites from their holiday collection:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

If you already bought your cards for this year, be sure and keep Minted in mind for next year! Or, any occasion where you need cute, original card designs. Their site is easy to use and offers a lot of variety as far as font choice and all that. The cardstock is quality, and I'll definitely be ordering from them again.

**Also, I wanted to let you guys know that my girl Elizabeth over at Oak & Oaks is currently hosting a giveaway for $100 to spend at Minted! So head over there and enter for a chance to win. I'm not part of the giveaway or anything. Just sharing the love.

 Where did you order your Christmas cards from this year?

P.S. Stay tuned, because next week I'll post our Christmas card here for all to see!

*I did receive Minted credit for blogging about their holiday collection, but I ordered and paid for my Christmas cards myself. All opinions are my own.