Author Archives: Jen Thompson

State of the Jennifer Address

I’ve been working a lot lately, and by a lot and I mean from approximately 4:30 AM to, well, the current time, which is 8:22 PM. Days have been long but productive in the world of Prep2Prep and the future of this business is very bright at this point. I’m excited to be a part of this organization and to be at the bottom working to build the company to what someday will hopefully be an empire in the world of  high school sports. But this job is definitely taking a toll on my sanity. I’m gonna have days when I completely feel like I’m losing my mind, then there are days like today. I can’t take it sometimes though. I can’t take the loneliness of the job, as I am by myself a lot of the day. I know hard work pays off. Sometimes it just takes a long time.

Someday I’ll be the Vice President of Marketing or the CMO if that’s possible position. I just want to know that people appreciate the hard work that we put in on a daily basis. There are days when it seems like no one does and days when we can’t get information up quick enough. They need the content. They appreciate all the hard work that has gone into make the stories, photos, video content, and special features great. I have amazing bosses that have given me an amazing opportunity in this position I still consider myself a kid but they treat me like an adult who has a strong mind and great creative ideas. I never thought that I would be not only taken seriously, but in a position where I have such creative control over an entity like Prep2Prep.

California’s amazing place I understand why people came looking for a better life, because I did the same. My world is definitely different on the West Coast than it was in the Midwest. I love every minute of it, but it is still extremely taxing. My job in Kansas last year was so incredibly stressful.  But this job is a different kind of stressful.

I miss a lot of things out here. My family is number one, my dog is included in that. I miss her every single day. I know she would love California, going to the beach, taking walks around the nice neighborhood I live in, and being with her mom 24/7. She’s such a sweet dog, and I hope to have her out here sometime soon. While I am able to telecommute, I’m hoping that I am only out here for approximately one more year and then can move wherever I would like, possibly back to Kansas, down to Florida, or even back to Ohio. But the best part of that is I can be anywhere and do what I love and that is work for Prep2Prep. I’m in such a great position right now and so thankful for everything that has been brought to me over the past nine months I’m so excited to continue this journey with Prep2Prep and continue to grow at what I do so well.

Thank God for Freedom of Speech…

I know… I’m very punny. (Review the title of this post after you read it and you will understand) I need to rant a little bit about what has unfolded this week. I know I will probably offend some people with this post, but it is what it is.

The world has elected a new Pope. I couldn’t care less. The Catholic Church, in my opinion, is a travesty to the world. There are approximately 1.2 billion people in this world that support an ancient ceremony that allows grown men to sweep immediate and pertinent world issues under the rug. 1.2 billion world citizens support the molestation of children. It continues to happen, it continues to be hidden, and it continues to be okay with people. I DON’T UNDERSTAND THIS!!!!! What if it was your child that had been molested? Would you feel the same? How can this be okay in the modern day? Yet 1.2 billion people still support the Catholic Church.

I am calling bull shit. I don’t have kids, but if I did, and this happened to one of them, I would kill a priest. I may go to hell, but so should he. Why are these people not standing up for what is wrong with this world? Child molestation is never okay. In no situation should this be going on in 2013. These priests that engage in this activity should be thrown in a cell and  stay there for the remainder of their days. So should the people that have swept this under the rug for so many years now.

We put the Pope and these Cardinals on pedestals, kiss their hands, and obey their commands…. are you kidding me? These people are criminals! Group thinking is absolutely dangerous. Catholics recite what they are told, walk through the church the way they are told, and go back to a place week after week, tithing and supporting a group of CROOKS!

Please don’t mistake my rant as a hatred of religion. That is not what this is. But I do have a problem with a group that is supposed to be teaching the world and their followers good moral values when they are going against everything they are feeding these people. Stand up for yourselves. If you truly think that this is okay, then keep going to Mass every Sunday and continue to drink their Kool-Aid. Because that’s what it is, in my opinion, a death sentence. You can’t convince me that God thinks this is ok, and if he does, he’s not my God.

Walt Disney World Half Marathon Review

Half Marathon CourseI am super excited, because I have been waiting for almost 2 months now to give you a review of the Disney World Marathon and Half Marathon. The reason for the delay is that I have been waiting to get my marathon photos. The CD arrived today, and I am happy to share them with my blog readers.

After a 2 am wake up call, we arrived at Epcot  just before 3. When a race starts at 5:35 am, you have to get going pretty early to be ready to run 13.1 miles. After weaving my way through a very congested pre-race area, I walked the near mile trail to the start line to wait in a corral for another hour. The pre-race process at Disney is very taxing! I finally crossed the start line about 6:05 am, and the congested feeling that had been present all morning continued on the race course.

I have posted a map of the course. From the start of the race, we head straight on Epcot Center Drive, and then proceed on the ramp to World Dr. The course was so congested here that I was ready to scream. The combination of a very full race (27,000+people) and a narrowing course caused me some major problems. While I used the Galloway method to complete the Goofy Challenge over this weekend, I run quite a bit faster than many of the folks I was 725161_1015_0002corralled with. I was walking because I simply couldn’t get by people, not because I wanted to. By mile 5, we were in the Magic Kingdom, where I dropped off my tech shirt to my mom near the castle, and moved along the course.

I finished this race strong, but disappointed and frustrated that I felt stifled by the crowd. My finish time was 2:45:05, which was my goal actually. I was excited and frustrated to think that I could have easily run that race a lot faster had I not been held back by the thick crowd of runners.

The rest of the day was spent sleeping, relaxing and refueling for the big day that was coming. My body felt pretty good for having run 13 miles, but my feet were a bit sore. Mom ordered us Outback, steaks and vegetables for dinner, and we took them back to the resort, sat by the pool and ate. After dinner that evening, I jumped in the hot tub for about 20 minutes to recover a bit. It was all the perfect combination, because the next day went splendidly…

More on the full marathon soon…

 

I’m Too Tired…

Sometimes you just need to decide to sleep instead of anything else… The past two mornings have been exactly that: sleepy mornings. I am attempting to get back on track, after a few days off from working out, and this week hasn’t helped much. I decided to go for a walk last night, just to get my blood pumping. Hopefully I will get back in the swing of things soon.

I am going through a little bit of depression, hence my lack of posts lately. While I really do like being alone, sometimes it catches up to you. Especially in the winter. I thought that it might be different someplace that doesn’t have much of a winter, but I was wrong.

I struggle with this sort of thing a lot after training, and it makes me not want to train honestly. You have this massive down time, and without something else to train for, you can easily fall off the wagon. This is a constant battle and I need to figure out a way to fight it. My usual solution is to crawl in bed and watch endless hours of tv. It doesn’t help at all, but most of the time I don’t know what else to do.

Keep Moving Forward…

Back to the Grind

Valentine's Day FlowersI haven’t written since I got back from Ohio, but just so you know, I had a wonderful experience  So many people love my dad, and they came out in droves to show it. I got to see my whole family, cousins, uncles, grandma, etc. and spent quality time with all of them. My mom, of course, went out of her way to put 5 lbs. on all of us, and we all complied. I returned to San Jose exhausted, full, and ready to get back into a regular routine.

This week has definitely be ideal. I have set up a schedule, stuck to it, for the most part, and worked out a few times. The weather has been in the 60’s and wonderful for running and walks outside. I received a lovely bouquet of flowers for Valentine’s day.

I have really started to get back into lifting, with some pain no less. I forgot how much I enjoyed the weight room, but I miss lifting with Chas, or with one of my players, like I used to do at Labette. Knocking on the doorstep of 30, I have realized that it’s not what the scale says that matters. If I am working my body hard, eating right, and feel good, that is all that matters.

I am excited not to have any major plans this weekend. A little relaxation is exactly what I want right now… Hope you all have a great weekend!

Tough Week

I’m having a tough week. Work is extremely busy. I am going home to Ohio on Friday, and have to get a lot ready for my colleagues before I leave. A lot of responsibility has fallen on my shoulders for multiple projects. I am not only feeling the pressure here, but I am just feeling a little depressed lately.

School is stressing me out. I miss my dog. I miss Chas. And to be perfectly honest, sometimes I just want to lay in my bed and cry.

But you know what? I’m a big girl, and I can only have a pitty party for myself for so long. I am trying to concentrate on my routine and working out, eating habits, and schedule.

I can accomplish everything I set my mind to. I can get everything done that I need to get done. I know I just have to keep moving forward.

Super Busy Super Bowl

I am currently watching the Super Bowl. I am currently doing laundry. I am currently working on homework, and I am currently not wanting to do any of it!

I really don’t care who wins, but I have two good reasons to root for San Francisco:

1. I now live in the Bay Area and
2. Ted Ginn Jr. plays for them

I have gotten a lot done today, going to the bank, grocery, returning something at Target this morning, then doing laundry, dishes, cooking a few items for the week, and cleaning this afternoon. I have 12 more homework questions to answer for an online class that I am very unmotivated to take, plus I need to enter in some scores for work, work on my thesis, and continue watching the 6th season of Everybody Loves Raymond, which I have become addicted to.

Greek Chicken Salad

Greek Chicken Salad

Anyway, I decided to make a new salad today, and thought I would review it here. It is called Greek Chicken Salad. Here is the recipe:

Serves 4
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar,
divided
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cucumber, cubed
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil

Cooking Instructions
1. Marinate chicken in 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste for 1 hour. Grill
over medium heat for 10 minutes per side. Cool and cut into cubes.
2. Combine chicken, cucumber, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion and feta in a large bowl. In a
small bowl, whisk together thyme, olive oil, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, and salt and
pepper to taste. Drizzle dressing over salad, and toss to combine.
Nutrition Information (per serving): Calories: 380, Total Fat: 21 g, Saturated Fat: 5.4
g, Cholesterol: 98 mg, Sodium: 660 mg, Total Carbohydrates: 15 g, Dietary Fiber: 3 g,
Sugars: 10 g, Protein: 32 g

TOTALLY DELICIOUS! One of the main reasons I made it was because it is very high in protein. I have to tell you, it is great. It is a very summery salad, but the flavors are amazing, and it’s very filling.

I am planning to do an ab workout tonight, then the next 4 days are hard core lifts, runs, and diet. Friday I head back to Ohio, and so I have to be prepared.

I wish you all a happy Super Bowl Sunday, and may the best team win.

It’s Been Awhile

Today was my first run over 10 minutes since the marathon. Wow… I am sore. My knees, my feet, everything. I struggled. But I made it, and I am happy to be back in business per say. I am still definitely having problems with my right foot. I would guess I probably sustained a stress fracture in the foot. It was painful after the 39.3, and it definitely bothered me today.

I have been lifting a little bit, and am really enjoying myself. It something that I used to love, and hopefully I can get back into it with some intensity.

I am in the middle of my 24 day challenge, and honestly, I am not doing great. I kinda decided to break this weekend, because I was just having so much trouble, then restarting on Monday. It’s a hard thing to do…

Oh well, more to come soon.

The Infection of a Toe

My infected toe... can you tell which one it is?

My infected toe… can you tell which one it is?

Here we are, 8 days out from the biggest racing weekend of my life. While I haven’t run since then, I have worked out twice, doing the elliptical, riding the bike, and lifting. The main reason for my lack of training is because I have an infected toe… After the marathon, my toe really hurt, so I wore flip flops. A day later, I realized that I had a ginormous blister underneath my toe nail! This turned into a full blown infection by Friday, and now I am knee deep in a large dose of antibiotics. It is feeling much better though. So much so that I have signed up for a 5k next Sunday at Golden Gate Park. I am super excited about this, because I have yet to be to the city since I moved to the Bay Area. YAY!

I’m having a sort of “BLAH” day today. I am feeling a little overwhelmed with all that is going on in the next few months, and a large amount of items have started to pile up on top of me. I don’t want to complain, but this is my blog, so I am going to do whatever I want.

Things that are bugging me:

My sick cat
Turning 30
School work
My thesis
I have a sunburn that is itching like crazy
Work/Selling advertising
Going home in 2 weeks

And to top it all off, I am on the Advocare 24 day challenge, day 4 to be exact, so I can’t go get junk food to make myself feel better. AHHH!

Ok, now that that is out in the open, I will end with saying that I signed up for the Disneyland Half Marathon today. Super excited to get my Coast to Coast medal. That will be really fun. Ok… to bed.

P.S. Believe me, I know how lucky I am that I am getting out of 40 miles with just an infected toe. I am an extremely lucky girl.