Here we go again! The annual yearly review. I feel like this year has flown by….yet it has also felt like a lifetime. A lot of things happened but because grad school has consumed my life I feel like my life is mundane. Perhaps composing this post will help me reflect on all that HAS happened. If it doesn’t help me this year, I’m sure that in the future I can look back on this post with some appreciation. Let’s begin.

Josh & I kicked off 2019 with a trail run at Brandywine. Typical us!

I was accepted as a member of the Altra Red Team for the 3rd consecutive year! My favorite Altras are still the Superiors and the Escalantes.

I did a chocolate tasting with my mom, granny, and mommom. The chocolate was so so good!

My second semester of grad school started and I faced two pediatric courses, neuroscience, research, a mental health course, and my first Level I fieldwork. Yikes!

Sneakers & Spokes had some great nighttime group trails runs (even in cold temps!)

Michael & Savannah got engaged.

Emily, Megan & I planned a fun Bachelorette weekend for Bridgette! I took the train into Philly, met them at their Airbnb, walked around the city searching for brunch, and then surprised Bridgette with an Escape Room experience! Let it be known that we did indeed escape the Thai prison!

A week later, Josh got to experience an Escape Room for his 30th birthday. This time around we escaped The Lost City! (pretty sure the guy gave us wayyyy too many clues though)

It snowed frequently in January & February so I got a lot of fun snow runs in solo and with Gwin. Gwin loves running through the snow!

I volunteered first to led an adult behavioral health group (to get it done & over with) but it snowed on the day I was supposed to present so my presentation got pushed back 3 months (THREE MONTHS!) which I was extremely unhappy about.

I ran 10 trail miles on the first Saturday in March and woke up feeling horrible on Sunday.

On Monday, the doctor told me I had the flu after sticking something up my nose (thanks, classmate). The doctor advised me not to go to school for a week to prevent spreading the flu to my classmates. Despite knowing I would miss an entire week of class and lose an excessive amount of points on a research quiz, I obliged because I myself am considerate towards others.

Josh also got the flu a few days later because I spent the majority of the weekend with him. (forever guilty)

I quarantined myself in my room for six days because my parents were flying out to Utah the following week for Michael’s wedding. I would only leave my room to walk 3 steps into the bathroom. My mom would hand me food when I cracked open the door. Tamiflu is the WORST medicine – my stomach hurt every time I had to take it and I had no appetite. Flu week was the worst week!

Flu week was followed up with mid-terms week. My parents were in Utah with Michael  for the wedding so Josh stayed over a few days to keep me company.

Michael & Savannah got married.

Spring break came along. I hosted an Altra demo day with NJ’s awesome tech rep, Luke.

Just like last year, I craved ultramarathons.

Bridgette & Bryce got married! Josh & I got to celebrate at her wedding with Emily and Megan and their men. After the wedding we went to a bar in town and just hung out for a while. It was so much fun and so refreshing to be back with lifelong friends!

Level I fieldwork in the school-based setting went smoothly. My FW educator was nice and I enjoyed getting to know the kids she worked with. I don’t envision myself working in a school-based setting though.

My birthday landed on the same day as a lab regarding feeding for the pediatric population. Jess fed me a spoonful of pudding on my 25th birthday.

The S&S red, white, and blue van was brought into the world.

Josh took me out on some White Clay mountain bike adventures. I snagged some segment PR’s as my confidence grew.

Josh & I went on many double dates with Brianna & Luke this year. It was always a fun time!

Neuroscience and research was killing my cohort slowly.

We took Mom axe throwing on her birthday. We were pretty good at it even though none of us won the tournament.

Josh & I both finished as the 2nd place male and female, respectively, at the Sasquatch 5k.

I brought Gwin with me to the FACES 4 Autism Walk which was chaotic because the walk ended up being inside instead of outside…. apparently people melt if little raindrops fall on them.

I published blog posts for the “ABCs of OT“. It was tedious but I hope people learned something from it!

My research group “presented” research on the effectiveness of alternative and augmentative communication systems for facilitating functional communication in children with autism. I feel like nobody but students attended the research symposium so there weren’t really people to present to….. oh well!

I finally led the behavioral health group I was supposed to lead three months prior. I stressed so so much after I failed to conclude my group as instructed. I felt so angry and frustrated after this and cried to Josh on my way home…… plot twist: I still got an A.

Instead of studying for exams, I went for a run during a tornado watch and severe thunderstorm warning. YOLO.

I finished my second semester of grad school with four A’s and an A-.

Josh & I celebrated three years together by going for a mountain bike ride at Fair Hill. Josh cracked open a beer at a stream stop. It truly was the best way for us to celebrate together!

Josh and I planted our garden for the third summer in a row. We hoped for lots of cucumbers, crispy bell peppers, tolerable long hots & jalapeños, tasty tomatoes, and refreshing watermelons!

I worked wine festivals again. Drunk people are…. interesting.

We also attended a wine festival with Josh’s family. Wine is good!

Our two-week summer class was basically a waste of time but my groupmates made a pretty cool story spinner for our project. Unfortunately, the attendees of the fair weren’t as impressed. Oh well.

Josh & I raced the Race to Save the World 10k at White Clay. I finished as the 4th overall female and Josh finished as the 1st overall male. After, we got brunch on Main St and then went mountain biking with a group of S&S folks! What a day!

I accompanied Josh to many mountain bike races as his crew member. I perfected water bottle hand-offs and cheered loud for him as frequently as possible! Pride filled my heart every time he stepped up on the podium (which was frequently because he’s amazing).

I ran to the Elmer Memorial Day parade to see my parents driving in the S&S van. Then I hustled off to work at the winery.

Uncle Eddie passed away. He was remembered through a beautiful military ceremony with the Fraser’s remembering him as a strong, resilient, and caring human.

Josh & I camped at Lums Pond for a night. We mountain biked and went to Grain for lunch. This was the only time we camped this year but it was fantastic!

Gabriele Grunewald passed away and the running community grieved. I did mile repeats for Gabriele and Justin (#BraveLikeGabe) a few days later using their strength to push me along.

I decided to register for a duathlon – my first duathlon ever – so that I would be motivated to train for something.

Michael & Savannah came to NJ to celebrate 4th of July! We went blueberry picking at Mood’s. We went to the boardwalk and played mini golf. We went to a mountain bike race (where 95% of Team S&S got lost – it was not a good day). And we celebrated 4th of July with fireworks.

I raced the Pitman 4 Miler as usual. It was tough but I didn’t throw up. Afterwards, Josh & I got to the Woodstown Parade to ride along the route with the Reactors and the S&S van. It was so so so hot out (cars were overheating) and everyone was drenched in sweat.

I started working as a classroom aide during extended school year at a special services school nearby. You can read more about that here.

Josh & I made friends with a neighborhood cat he decided to call Milford. Milford is a lovebug!

I tried racing a mountain bike race at Granogue – I walked my bike for most of it….

The morning of one of Josh’s mountain bike races, I spotted a dog abandoned and tied up to the gate of an animal shelter (which wasn’t open yet) which made me both extremely sad and angry. We tried calling the county police (who weren’t helpful) and then left a message with the animal shelter (who had opened 30ish minutes later & had taken the dog in). That same morning my mommom’s dog passed away sending me into even more devastated tears. Josh had a rough race that morning and ended up breaking something on his bike. It was just a really rough day.

Our garden produced great cucumbers, iffy bell peppers, lots of long hots & jalapeños, and…. no ripened watermelons.

I logged several 50+ mile bike rides throughout the summer which was AWESOME!

Josh & I had date night at Auburn Winery while Lauren Hart performed. It was a perfect night of pizza, wine, and great music!

I made it my mission to strengthen the running community in Salem County and initiated group runs/walks and 2nd Saturday trail runs.

Training was going great for the duathlon I signed up for. I was feeling strong both running and biking and was practicing transitions weekly.

I stopped using Twitter. I started unfollowing accounts on Instagram and defriended some folks on Facebook. It just felt like it was time to simplify and declutter my social media accounts. Living in the present, not attached to the phone, is so much more enjoyable anyways.

Sneakers & Spokes celebrated its four year anniversary!

Hope passed away on August 23rd after 15 loving and playful years. This was by far the hardest day of 2019 and I miss her everyday.

Josh & I started making rice bowls together which are so delicious and (relatively) healthy!

I started my last year of grad school and had to tackle adult classes, clinical research, foundations of OT, an assistive technology course, and my second Level I fieldwork (in hand therapy…)

I ran the 9/11 Memorial Run with runners from Sneakers & Spokes and other runners from the south jersey running community.

 

Josh & I continued our tradition of attending Oktoberfest together. It was fun as usual!

I completed my first ever duathlon finishing as the 3rd overall female. Team S&S also won 2nd overall team. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed the challenge! I am grateful for the team I got to do the duathlon with. I hope we conquer more dus together in 2020!

I organized a Ride & Wine with Monroeville Winery. It was successful but improvements can definitely be made.

I volunteered at the “calf-way” stop at the Cow Run 10 Miler with S&S. Two skunks decided to cross through our water stop just as the first few runners were passing through. It was terrifying.

I raced (and volunteered) at the Shred the Edge MTB race for the second consecutive year. This year I bumped myself down to the novice race and finished as the 2nd overall female following a sprint finish. Grad school legs and lungs did me in. I helped with registration and timing too – it was a fun day!

My mom started fostering animals from South Jersey Regional Animal Shelter. The first dog we fostered, named Cookie, we ended up adopting (#fosterfail). My mom renamed her Zoey and she has been with us since the end of October. We have also fostered one kitten and two dogs (Sheepy & Douglas). All of them have since been adopted!

 

In my assistive technology course, we got to work with 3D printers. My group designed a bottle cap opener with a built up handle for individuals who have difficulty pronating.

Patti, Colin, & Tammy visited from California. We went out to eat and a magician (who will be on AGT this summer) visited our table. I hate magicians yet somehow I ended up being the person chosen for all the tricks.

I miserably raced the Ghosts of Granogue 5k. That’s all I have to say about that.

My assistive technology group also designed “The Mailman’s Basket” for an individual with a C6 SCI who worked as a mailman at a university. We designed the basket to swing to the side from behind the wheelchair for him to easily deliver mail. We presented our assistive device to students in Colombia, South America who also designed assistive devices from the same case studies. This project was a lot of fun!

I did not enjoy my fieldwork in hand therapy and I don’t foresee myself ever working in this setting. It’s just far too redundant and unexciting.

Josh & I began planning for The Ultimate Woodstown Scavenger Hunt which we are directing in January 2020. This will be our first time as race directors and I am beyond excited!

Josh & I made tater tot nachos for the first time ever and they were DELICIOUS.

Gwin & Zoey really loved snuggling together. They’re so precious!

I celebrated my 6th year of being a vegetarian.

I submitted both my case studies before Thanksgiving break. The first case study was 29 pages which I spent 21 hours on. The second case study was 31 pages which I spent just over 10 hours on. These case studies challenged me beyond belief but all the determination paid off as I got 100s on both of them. HOOZAH.

We had our annual Thanksgiving weekend nighttime trail run. It was freezing that night.

My research group presented on ayurveda and chronic pain. I hate ayurveda and don’t want to say anything more about it.

I finished my 3rd semester of grad school (THANK GOODNESS THE END IS GETTING NEAR) with four As and one A-. It was a tough semester. Practicals stressed me out. Research stressed me out. But there’s only one more academic semester to go. The light at the end of the tunnel is getting slightly brighter. I can’t wait to be done!

Josh & I ran our 2nd annual Christmas lights run through his town. We saw a lot of greatly decorated houses!

Angela came back to visit NJ and we got in a lot of good runs together! I am extremely grateful for the miles we got to share!

My parents took Granny & Mommom on a Christmas lights tour. We visited the Griswold house in Mickleton which was awesome!

I directed the S&S Santa Run with a mission in mind – to collect as much dog/cat food and litter as possible to donate to SJRAS in memory of Hope. This was my way of paying it back to the shelter that gave me Hope for 15 wonderful years. This was my way of paying it forward to the animals still looking for their forever homes. We collected 1,426 pounds of food to donate. My heart is still so so grateful for the generosity of the running community.

For the second consecutive year, my family cut down our Christmas tree from the front yard.

Christmas Eve and Christmas day traditions remained the same. The Palmieri’s tricked my family into believing we were calling NORAD when in reality it was Micheal pretending to be NORAD.

Mommom adopted a dog from Salem County Humane Society. His name is Bashee and he’s a chocolate lab!

I got to reunite with Bridgette, Bryce, and Megan during Christmastime. It was so nice to catch up with them!

I ran 6 miles in under 50min to close off the 2019 running year. Four of those miles were with Zoey (Gwin wouldn’t get out of bed), averaging 8:30/mile. Zoey loves to run!

Running Stats of 2019:

• Total miles: 1,025.1 miles
• Highest monthly mileage: May (103.5 miles)
• Three trail races: Sasquatch 5k, Race to Save the World 10k, Ghosts of Granogue 5k
• One road race: Pitman Freedom 4 Miler
• One duathlon: Parvin Anniversary Duathlon
• Shoes worn: Altra Superiors & Altra Escalantes
• States I ran in: New Jersey, Maryland, & Delaware

Cycling Stats of 2019:

• Total miles: 1,111.7 miles
• Highest monthly mountain bike mileage: May (93.5 miles)
• Highest monthly road bike mileage: August (287.9 miles)
• Highest monthly combined mileage: August (325.4 miles)
• Total Road Bike Miles: 739 miles
• Total MTB Miles: 372.7 miles
• Mountain Bike Races: Fair Hill Classic, Escape Granogue, & Shred the Edge
• One duathlon: Parvin Anniversary Duathlon

Total woman-powered miles: 2,136.8 miles

2019 brought fewer running and cycling miles; however, I am proud of what I was able to accomplish while balancing the demands of grad school. Squeezing in runs mid-semester has been challenging but I’ve learned to adapt in order to overcome.

Because running is such an integral part of my overall physical and mental health, I have come to recognize its importance in keeping my stress levels in check.

I learned that I am more likely to run if I run before the demands of the day begin. Throughout the fall semester I would head out the door at 6 AM with my headlight on and log 3 miles. I hated doing this but the rest of my day tended to be better because my run was done and my stress was manageable.

The races I did weren’t at optimal fitness. My grad school lungs often limited how fast I could go or how much I could push myself. I still miss ultramarathons like mad and I hope that in the coming year or so I can make my ultra comeback.

A year from now, my yearly review should say “finished grad school” somewhere in it. I can’t wait to start the next chapter of my life in 2020 when school is officially done done done and I can start working towards an established career.

Another year has come and gone. It’s been a year of highs and lows. It’s been a year of new and old running friends. It’s been a year of academic stress. It’s been a year of falling in love with so many dogs. It’s been a year of learning to simplify and balance all that life throws at me.

I hope everyone can find joy in the coming year. Reflect on what you have accomplished.

Set goals that scare you. Set goals that will make you stronger.

Wishing you a happy and healthy new year (and decade).

Much love,

-L