Heart Run/Walk 5K Recap

Saturday, April 16th I ran the first annual Heart Run 5K here in Rochester. In years past they've always done the Heart Walk to benefit the American Heart Association, but this year they decided to add a 5K run. At first I wasn't going to do the run because the price was a little steep, however, my friend Natalie was running the 5K, so I decided to jump in and run/walk with her.

This year, only a few of us from the Cardiology department actually registered for the race/walk. Our team included myself, Natalie, our coworker Linda, and then one of our Attendings and his wife. The run/walk was also at a different location this year. This year it was at Frontier Field, where as in years past it has been at Blue Cross Arena. Or you could be like me last year, and be laying in a hospital bed 1 day S/P open heart surgery. But, I digress.

I woke up Saturday morning and got myself around to leave. It was a beautiful sunny day (surprising for April in Rochester), but it was still pretty chilly. I arrived at Frontier field around 8:30, and text my coworkers to see if any where there yet. The race was set to start at 9:00 AM with the walk to immediately follow. My coworkers and I set a meeting place and waited in the sun until it was time to walk over to the race start.

(Standing in the sun waiting for the race to stsrt)

We decided to wander over to where the race was going to start. On our way over, there was a big billboard for all the participants to sign. I thought that was cool, and Natalie told me they also had one last year for everyone to sign.

While we were stretching we noticed there were some characters/mascots (if you will), so of course we had to grab a quick picture before the race started.

Finally it was time for the race the start. For the inaugural race, there were about 400 registrants, which I thought was a decent number. We made our way to the starting line, and then they counted us down. Once they blew the horn for us to start, they released about 25 red balloons into the sky which I thought was a neat idea. Since there wasn't a huge crowd, I told my friend Natalie to let me know when we wanted to walk. I was game for whatever she wanted to do.

The course for the 5K (and the walk) was an out and back on the Inner Loop. It certainly wasn't flat, but the small hills provided a little challenge and made us work a little harder.

(Course map: Source)

Natalie, Linda and I made it to about the one mile marker, and we were all dying. We had definitely overdressed. My thermometer when I left my house said 38 degrees, but the sun was warm. Linda and I stripped our top layers and tied our shirts around our waists. Poor Natalie had worn a black Under Armour shirt under the black Heart Run shirts we were given at packet pickup. As we were making our way out to the turning point, we watched the other side as runners started to make their way back to the finish. Then we saw Ryan and Carrie! We all waved at each other and kept trudging along.

We had finally made it to the halfway point, and looped around and started back towards the finish. As we made our way back toward the finish, we were able to run past all the Heart Walk participants that were making their way to just about the 1 mile marker. It was great to see how many participants there were doing the walk. There were also little activities and snacks along the course for the walkers to partake in. The 3 of us chatted as we made our way back over the hills and turned the corner towards Frontier Field. The last 1/10 of a mile we kicked it in and finished strong. I finished in 41:40, not my fastest, but that's my fault for not running consistently this winter/spring. A huge shoutout to Natalie who ran her FIRST timed 5K, and she rocked it!

Once we finished we met up with Ryan and Carrie and chatted for a few minutes. Ryan had mentioned that Scott Hetsko had run the race, and just finished a few minutes before us. I went up to him to say hello, and introduce myself, and asked if I could get a picture with him.

(Chatting about our heart surgeries)

Scott was extremely nice. We chatted for a few minutes, and I told him that I had open heart surgery about a year ago too, and we compared scars. His looks awesome by the way, hardly noticeable. I commented on his Penn State shirt, and was excited to learn he is also a Penn State Alum!

After that we decided to check out the sponsor tents to see what goodies we could pick up. We stopped at the Kodak booth where they were taking pictures of participants, then printing them off so we could take them home. Not only that, they were offering a service where you could print pictures from your phone to take home with you, so we definitely took advantage of that.

We grabbed a small snack at the refreshment tent and decided that we would go for a bite to eat together when we left. We quickly walked around the tents and picked up some goodies and decided to head out. Linda, Natalie and I decided to head to Village Bakery for breakfast. It was such a beautiful day and we were lucky to snag a table outside in the sun. We ate our breakfast and stayed and chatted for quite a while, then we all headed out to enjoy the rest of our weekends.

(With Natalie and Linda at Village Bakery)

QOTD: Running is always more fun with friends. Do you have a BRF (best running friend?)

Cardiology is awesome, but I'm kind of selfish

As of last Friday, I am officially 5 months post-op! So what exactly has been going on since my last post? Well, for one thing, I turned 29. I enjoyed a fun birthday weekend with my friends and family.

I haven't been running as much as I should be, especially when I have a half marathon in 35ish days. I've been getting little runs in here and there, but honestly, it's been bad. Can I also say that I'm so excited that it's fall. I love summer, but fall brings football and tailgating. In September, I spent two weekends in State College with friends going to the Penn State football games. Of course, lucky me, it poured during both games. All that aside, I still had a blast, as always.

(Nita, Eric, Me and Matt before the rain set in for the day)

("Nails")

(Tailgating with my girls, Dani and Kristen)

(Home: 103,000+ Stripe-out under the lights in Happy Valley<3)

Okay, so that's been my last few weekends. Let's get on with my 5 month update. So like I said, Cardiology is awesome, but I'm a little selfish. As much as I LOVE Cardiology, I'd be lying if I said I didn't go into the field of Cards without my own interest in mind. Last week I was feeling a little short of breath and noticed my heart rate was hovering around 105 bpm at rest. I received my flu shot on Wednesday, so I thought maybe it was a side effect of the shot hitting me, or possibly I was trying to fight off a virus that was trying to set it. Nevertheless, I had my coworker do another echo on me to make sure that nothing was actually going on.

Here's what we found:

My new Pulmonic valve is in fact leaking, which annoys me. There's not much I can do about it though.

(Lovely Pulmonic insufficiency)

My pulmonary pressures are mildly elevated. However, if the RV is remodeling and function is improving, it is possible for my pulmonary pressures to be elevated due to the fact that the ventricle is able to produce a pressure. Makes sense, could also be explaining my shortness of breath.

The gradients through the conduit also seem elevated to me. To be honest, I'm not even sure what the mean and peak gradient for my RV-PA conduit should be for the size and type, and I've searched journal articles high and low for values, but come up empty handed. So that will be something I'll have to keep in mind when I go back in November. Hopefully someone will have an answer for me.

(Gradients through the conduit)

Either way, like I said, I'm supposed to have a follow-up with pediatric cardiology in November. I'll keep an eye on things, and if I continue to get worse, then I'll call them sooner.

Moving on. This past Tuesday, I went to RIT in the evening to help a friend out with a lecture he was giving on Pulmonic Stenosis with Intact Ventricular Septum pathology. Though my pathology is a little different, he asked me to stop by so the students could scan me. It was a lot of fun, and the lab at RIT is beautiful. The students took their turn scanning me which took about and hour. My friend asked them questions while they were scanning. "Why does that structure look like that." "What does this measurement tell us?" Etc... It was great to be able to help out and have the students see a little different pathology than I'm sure they're used to.

Any way, that's about all I have for now - nothing too exciting.

QOTD: What's do you like most about the fall?

Success Occurs When Opportunity Meets Preparation

I rarely talk about my career on here, mainly because I work in a hospital, and I don't need ANYTHING coming back to bite me. However, I am going to take some time to talk a little about my career because this past weekend I stepped out of my comfort zone to do something that I never imagined doing even in my wildest dreams.

As you all know (if you've been following my blog), that I was born with congenital heart disease, and in a matter of a few weeks will be undergoing my third (and hopefully last) open heart surgery to repair the remainder of my defect. You may also know that I am a cardiac sonographer - I know I posted a time or two about my pediatric echocardiography boards last year. So, yes, I am a Cardiac Sonographer, registered in both pediatric and adult echo. Having been born with my congenital heart defect, I had yearly echoes growing up, and they sparked an interest and I went with it. I honestly love what I do, and in a way it's been useful in knowing what's going on with myself. I understand the echoes, I know how to read them, and I get what the Cardiologists and Surgeons are saying to me when we discuss everything. But enough about that, let's rewind...

Back in January, I received an email from the Cardiac track coordinator at the school I graduated from with my Diagnostic Medical Sonography degree, asking if I would be interested in presenting at the Sonographer Symposium they hold each spring. She mentioned that she saw I had passed my Pediatric Echocardiography boards, and was hoping I could give a talk on Congenital Heart Disease. I, of course, was honored that they had thought of me, and I gladly accepted. At the time, I had no idea when my surgery was going to be, and honestly, timing could not have been better.

I worked on my presentation a little each night for months, and ended up working on it at work in the evenings because my computer kept crashing, and I was terrified I was going to lose everything I had worked so hard on. I started out by brain dumping all of the information I wanted to get across on slides, and then fine tuning and eliminating slides from there, until I was happy with it. By the time I was ready to leave for the Symposium last Thursday, I had 88 slides and about 10 congenital defects to discuss. On top of that I had video clips of the defects to supplement the slides.

Friday came, and I went into the school to make sure my presentation was going to work. As it turned out, I was unable to leave my presentation to get to the clips to show. At that point, I had to embed the clips into my presentation. No problem, but it did take a little time. I did a few there to make sure they would work, and then borrowed one of the DMS Faculty members laptops to finish it up. I'm so thankful I went in to check because had I not, Saturday would have been a TRAIN WRECK. After I finished, I had to head to a get together for the DMS Faculty and presenters, at which point I returned the laptop I borrowed. It was nice to get out that evening and get my mind off of the symposium because by that point I was TERRIFIED. I can honestly tell you though, I was not myself. The evening flew by, and before I knew it I was on my way back to get to bed.

Saturday morning came quickly, even though I didn't sleep well. I got up and got ready, and headed towards the school. My coworkers had made the trip down for the conference, and I had been in contact with them all morning. I had to stop and get gas in my car, and then I wanted to grab a coffee and a breakfast sandwich. By the time I left Sheetz it was already 7:30, and I was feeling the pressure of being late. I rushed to the school and walked in with minutes to spare (If you know me, then you know this is not like me at all). I am typically always early for everything - and even Angie and Laurie mentioned it was not like me to be late.

I met up with my coworkers who so kindly saved me a seat, and took my breakfast sandwich out, but by that point, I had lost my appetite, and my nerves were taking over. The first presenter was wonderful, and opened my eyes to what is available to sonographers, we just need to think outside the box. After that lecture we had a technical showcase which allowed us to travel around the school and see shortened lectures and presentations on machines, contrast, and other sonography related tools.

Once the technical showcases were done I was up. Yikes! I was the first to present for the cardiac track. I began to get set up as people started to trickle into the room. 

(Yeah, that's me hiding behind the podium)

Before I knew it, Beth was introducing me and I was off. I was EXTREMELY nervous, and I know it showed. I stumbled over a few things, and got ahead of myself at a few points, but over all the presentation went well. Unfortunately, when I got to my first set of echo clips to show, they did not work as they did the day before! Beth came up to help me, but we could not get them to work as they once did. So instead, I was stuck clicking the clip to replay each time to point out different structures and defects. Oh well, it could have been worse.

Before I knew it Beth was heading up toward the front of the room. I paused to ask her how we were doing on time, and she then told me I was 10 minutes over. Oops! I had just been so into the presentation I hadn't even taken into account how long I had actually be talking for. Beth had told me before in the e-mails we exchanged that I had an hour time slot, but to plan on speaking for 45-50 minutes and leave some time for questions. Unfortunately, there was no time for that. Not to mention, I was the last presenter before lunch, so I'm sure everyone was annoyed that I kept them there late when they were probably starving!

I cleaned up my materials as the room cleared for lunch. As I was cleaning, I was introduced to one of the current Cardiac students and her clinical instructor. She was interested in a job that was posted within the medical center that I work for, so I chatted with her about the job, what the area was like, and then promised I would get her in contract with someone from the practice she was interested in. I finally made my way downstairs. I grabbed a sandwich and a bag of chip and sat down with friends to chat with them as I hadn't had much time to see them that morning. I still didn't have an appetite, and I was still trying to process everything.

At least I could finally breathe a sigh of relief. My presentation was now over and I could relax and enjoy the rest of the days lectures. I really enjoyed the rest of the lectures, and before I knew it the day was over. After the symposium, South Hills held a DMS Alumni Reunion for classmates to mingle and catch up over drinks and appetizers. It was really nice to sit back and unwind, catch up with the faculty and my friends, and I even won some South Hills swag!

After the reunion, my coworkers and I had a few drinks then headed to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in State College, the Ale House. Well, since I had hardly eaten anything in nearly 48 hours, I went a little crazy. I ordered a Bison burger (which came with fries) AND a side of mac and cheese. It was delicious.

(#FatKid)

Sunday morning is when the entire weekend slowly started to sink in. I met up with my coworkers one more time to introduce them to all the glory that is The Original Waffle Shop. On my way to meet them I could not help but break down in (happy) tears at the thought of all I've accomplished at this point in my career. I had just given my first professional presentation, I have a great job, I own my own home, and I can afford to enjoy doing the things I love. I may not be exactly where I want to be, but I'm still truly blessed to be where I'm at. Not only that, the presentation had been such a wonderful distraction that I didn't really have time to think about my surgery. I'm now just days away from my surgery, and I can't believe how fast time flew by.

Earlier this week I had exchanged a few emails with Beth regarding a variety of things, including the symposium. She said she would get back to me with feedback from the evaluation forms. She did include in one of the emails a kind comment that another alum had made about me. They mentioned how impressed they were with my congenital and pediatric knowledge after only having been out in the field for 4 years. It was very heartwarming to hear something so kind from someone who does not know me. I really look forward to hearing what other feedback I may receive. It will only help me to improve. I have already learned so much just by doing this one presentation, things I would do differently, etc. I did tell my coworkers, if given the chance, I would definitely do it again. It was nerve-racking for sure, but the only way to grow is to step outside of your comfort zone.

QOTD: Have you ever stepped outside of your comfort zone to do something you never imagined?

No Use Crying Over A Cancelled Disney Trip

It's been nearly a month since my last post, and I feel terrible about that. Let's just say things have been a bit hectic for this girl. It amazes me how much things can change in the matter of one month, and honestly, I can't complain. But my oh my, where do I start?

The last time I posted about regaining my freedom after my board exam. I still haven't found out whether I've passed or not, but I will know in less than a month (hopefully it will be an early Christmas present)! I also mentioned that I had slipped in my half training plan from the studying, and that it was going to hurt me during the Jazz Half. Mom and I did go to New Orleans and we finished the half, but the Jazz Half deserves its own recap, which I PROMISE I will get to (I have a few recaps I need to catch up on, yikes)! I will also eventually post about my trip to New Orleans.

My birthday was in August, as I'm sure you may know from my Disneyland Half Health & Fitness Expo Recap, and my parents were still asking me what I wanted for my birthday. They came up one weekend to help me around the house, and I had mentioned I wanted to look into getting a new front door because my is pretty drafty, and in these cold Upstate NY winters you can definitely feel it! (You also know you're growing up when you ask for that for your birthday!) However, when all was said and done, a new front door was going to cost more than I wanted to spend at this point. So my parents sent me money for my birthday, and I actually bought a new bike. Unfortunately, I can't use it until spring, because sure enough, it's snowing here now.

(Birthday goodies!)

While I was in New Orleans, my friend had text me to tell they had been offered a job promotion, but unfortunately it interfered with our travel plans for the Avengers Half Marathon at Disneyland that was about 2 weeks away, and they were now unable to go. I was a little bummed at first, but after I thought about it, I had REALLY hated running the Disneyland Half in August, so I brushed it off. I called and cancelled our hotel reservation and my flights. I lost money on the trip, but no big deal, in the long run I'd actually be saving money on food, and other stuff that I probably didn't need. I got that squared away, no use crying over a cancelled Disneyland Trip.

So, what does one do when their mini vacation gets cancelled? They plan a trip to their happy place! That's right, I kept the time I had off and decided to drive down to State College to see my friends and take in a Penn State game. I knew I wouldn't have any other opportunities to do that this fall as I have a lot coming up over the next few weeks. So I got a hold of my friend, Danielle, and just like that, I had a new "mini vacation" planned. I spent from Friday afternoon until yesterday in State College with my friends catching up.

Friday night Danielle and I took it easy. We ordered our favorite D.P. Dough, we each had a bottle of wine (I nearly finished mine, oops), and we watched Friday Bride Day on TLC. Kora, Josh's pit bull puppy made herself comfortable on my lap most of the night. She is the laziest puppy I've ever met, but so adorable!

We got up early Saturday and headed to a special tailgate at the Pegulla Ice Arena for Veterans. There was a huge assortment of food and desserts. We hung out there for a few hours and stayed warm before heading over to Beaver Stadium for the game.

(We felt like VIPs!)

(This was actually my first time in the arena, hard to believe, eh?)

We headed over to the game with Danielle's sister and her friend. Danielle had the goal of making it to one game this season before kick off because she had yet to do that. Just as we were walking into the stadium in our section Coach Franklin was walking down the tunnel with the team. It felt good to back in Beaver Stadium with 107,000 of my best friends.

(Right on the 50. Not one bad seat in the Beav)

(Let's Go State! Trying to stay warm)

We decided to leave after the 3rd quarter. It was freezing, Penn State was winning, and they just continued to fight on to a victory. We are also bowl eligible! We went back to Dani's house to rest up and thaw before getting ready to head out for the evening. We decided to go to Inferno for drinks, and my friend Jordan met up with us! He saw through the Facebook grapevine that I was in town.

(A little dark, but still good!)

Sunday was a veg day. I met up with Dani and her family to see Big Hero 6 (GREAT movie by the way, highly recommend it), and after, Dani and I went to Barnes and Noble to have coffee with her mom and gram. Sunday night I started feeling like I was getting a cold and even made the comment that I thought I was getting sick.

Monday I woke up feeling okay, and I met up with my friend Kristen for Breakfast at the Waffle Shop to catch up with her. After breakfast I went downtown to do a little Christmas shopping before heading back to NY. I also splurged on a few items for myself...

(Love.)

I started feeling worse as the day went on, and sure enough, I woke up at 4:30 this morning, and I couldn't breathe and I felt like I had a marble in my throat.

Once I got home from New Orleans I went a little crazy spending time with my friends and family. I had plans with my friends every single night up until last night, and I've been up until close to midnight nearly every night for the past 3 weeks. I should have known better than to do that. Now I need my own Baymax to make me feel better (Big Hero 6 reference). I'll definitely be veggin' most of this week to recoup. I'm also on call this weekend, so I'll have plenty of time to relax. I'll need some movie ideas for the weekend.

QOTD: Who ran the Inaugural Avengers Half? What's your favorite movie to watch when you're not feeling well?

Stace's Disneyland Lemonade Stand

As many of you may know, I registered for the Dumbo Double Dare Challenge during the Disneyland half marathon weekend coming up in August. This will be my second runDisney challenge this year (I also did the Glass Slipper Challenge). I am so excited for this trip because not only will I be running the Dumbo Double Dare, and receiving my Coast-to-Coast medal, but it will also be my "Golden Birthday." Some people have never heard of this, but it is the birthday in which you turn the same age as the day of the month your birthday in on, so in my case, 28 (Yikes)!

Enough about that though, the real reason for this post is after my friends and I had registered for the Disneyland half weekend, we also signed up to run for Team Lemon. Team Lemon is associated with Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, and raises money for Pediatric Cancer.

So excited to run as a part of Team Lemon! (Source)

As a Penn State Alum, raising money and supporting Pediatric Cancer is in my (Blue & White) blood. However, now that I'm an alum, I don't have as much access to THON as I used to, so I thought this would be a great way to still give to such a great cause (I mean, let's be real, anything having to do with kids is a great cause) all while doing what I love - running!

The great thing about Team Lemon is that you don't have to raise a minimum amount of money to be on the team or participate in their events (unless you register for a race using one of their team slots). Since my friends and I registered separately, we could set our own fundraising goals. If you have the time, please take a second to check out my Disneyland Lemonade Stand page and consider donating to such an amazing cause. No dollar amount is too small to fund the necessary research, treatment and procedures necessary for those battling this awful disease.

Stace's Disneyland Lemonade Stand: http://www.alexslemonade.org/mypage/1112917

Again, please take a minute to check out my page, and even share it to spread awareness! Thank you!

QOTD: Have you ever run for Team Lemon or another charity group?

Blue and White Weekend & Paterno Family Beaver Stadium Run Recap: Part 2

I last left off talking about being out Saturday night with my friends. Since we didn't get to bed until after 4 am, my alarm went off after what seemed like only 5 minutes. Danielle and I got around for the race dreadfully slow, however, we still had time to stop at Sheetz for coffee (yes, toasted marshmallow latte)!

We made it to Beaver Stadium a little before 10 am to pick up our bibs and t-shirts. On our way into Medlar Field we ran into some friends and stopped briefly to talk. We made our way into Medlar Field, and packet pick-up was arranged by last name. I walked up to the table (which was much less congested than the previous year) and gave the woman my last name. "Smith, there's probably 100 of us." She asked my first name, and then scrolled through the list. She looks up, "I'm sorry, you're not on the list." I told her that was weird, and that I could even pull up the e-mail on my phone that confirmed I had registered. She told me that when they printed the lists, they were told that some people did not make it on the list. My immediate thought was, well, why did they not print new lists then? Either way, it was not a hassle to get a new bib, there was a woman there specifically for that reason, and luckily I was not the only one getting a new bib at that time. Danielle and I walked over to the table where shirts were distributed, and then made our way back to my car.

Unfortunately, registration closed at 10:15, but the race was not set to start until 11 am. We had about an hour to kill, which worked for me so I could finish my coffee and hopefully not have it upset my stomach. It was a beautiful day, and the sun was pretty direct again. I had Danielle take this picture of me outside the stadium.

(Sun and blue skies for the Beaver Stadium run!)

We made our way up to the start and ran into some other friends we knew, and chatted for a minute. Finally it was 11, and we were getting ready to run. The race started and it took Danielle and I a good 2 minutes to get to the actual starting line, but we didn't mind. There were so many people out in support of the race, and even Franco Harris (Former running back for the Steelers) was announcing at the starting line. He also stated he was going to be at the finish line giving a high-five to every person that crossed the finish line! How awesome!

Danielle and I started our run, and I had my watch set so we could do intervals. It worked out nice because we were able to enjoy the rest of campus at a steady enjoyable pace, and take note of the other changes that had been made since we had graduated. One thing that annoyed us both was that there was only one water stop along the entire route! This year we didn't stop at any of our favorite places to take pictures. We made our loop around campus and once again we were by the creamery. I glanced and my watch and saw that we had a decent time even though we were still about a half a mile from the finish. I also noticed that my hands were swollen again.

We turned into the stadium (my favorite part!), running through the tunnel onto the field in Beaver Stadium! Literally, as soon as you hit that point you feel a rush of adrenaline, and just kick it in gear to get to the 50 yard line where the finish was located. I was so excited to finish, that I totally missed Franco Harris, I was on the other side of the finish chute! Hahaha!

We hung around on the field for a while talking with friends, and then Danielle and I went to Quaker Steak for a post race lunch with another one of her friends. My mom text me to ask how the race went, and asked how my hands were. The swelling was starting to go down. After lunch, we went back to Danielle's, I showered and had to hit the road to get back home... and like that, my weekend in Happy Valley was over.

I drove back to my parents to pick up my dog because she stayed with them over the weekend. I was telling my mom about what a great time I had, and she said to me, " It will always be a happy place for you. No matter how old you are, there will always be something fun for you to do there for as long as you live." That's definitely the truth, the times I have in State College go by in the blink of an eye. I keep my fingers crossed that a job will open up in my field in the area so I can move back. Mom and I continued to talk about the race, and both she and my dad said they don't want me running until I see my cardiologist (which I called to make an appointment, and they can't get me in until the end of May). I'll update you on all of that in my next post. Luckily, the only run I'm registered for before I see my cardiologist is the Color Run, so I'll just run it very slowly (or walk it).

QOTD: Is there a favorite race you run? Or a particular part about a certain race that gets your adrenaline pumping?

Blue and White Weekend Recap: Part 1

"From open heart surgery to half marathons, with a dash of life mixed in." Here is where the dash of life mixed in comes into play. As you know (if you've been following my blog or Instagram for that matter), I was in State College, PA over the weekend. It is my happy place, and I'd move back in a heart beat, no questions asked. Any way, It was Penn State's spring football weekend, also known as Blue and White weekend. I went down to visit with friends, and also to run the Paterno Family Beaver Stadium 5K (which I'll recap in my next post). I had such a great time, but since I packed so much into less than 48 hours, I am now sick. I think I'm getting a cold, but if you asked me if it was worth it - Absolutely.

I arrived in State College on Friday night, and my friend Danielle and I decided to lay low, so we ordered D.P. Dough and decided to enjoy a few glasses of wine. Well, let me just tell you what party animals we are! I didn't even finish an entire glass of wine before passing out at 10:30. Hahaha!

The next morning we were in no rush to get around because for the first time ever, we were not planning to tailgate. Another first, I was going to be attending the Blue and White game for the first time. Is it weird that I never attended one as a student? Nevertheless, I was excited to go. Now that Coach Franklin has taken over, I have been very interested in seeing what he has in store for the upcoming football season. Just from the articles I've read (and instagram selfies I've seen), he seems like a very personable individual.

Danielle and I decided to make a Sheetz run for coffees before getting around. I love Sheetz, and wish we had them in NYS - I know some people think it's weird to order food from a gas station, but they have EVERYTHING, it's made to order, and it's so good. I always order a Toasted Marshmallow Latte, they're delicious. Dani's sister made chocolate chip pancakes which were also amazing (or else I would have ordered a breakfast sandwich on a pretzel roll at Sheetz).

Danielle and I got around and we decided to park downtown and walk up to the stadium, by this time the sun was out and it was HOT. I didn't realize how warm it actually was going to be, but I wasn't complaining, just a few weeks earlier I was shoveling my driveway. It was so great to walk College Ave again with so many people in town for the weekend! Danielle and ventured up through campus, talking about all the changes since we were students. We made it to the Bryce Jordan Center and saw this cute ATT picture spot, so of course we could not resist!

We made our way across the street to a tent sale right outside the stadium. There I found a REALLY cute Nike Dri-FIT windbreaker for running (I swear it was sitting on a sale rack waiting for me to buy it, haha). I also bought a Nike Penn State Hockey sweatshirt. I couldn't resist, they were both on sale! We stopped in the suite entrance to see Dani's sister briefly, then made our way into the stadium to find a seat. We decided to sit on the 50 yard line (who wouldn't?), and of course had to take a selfie.

(I had a long sleeve PSU shirt on, but it was too warm)

The game was set for a 1:30 kick off with a few changes to the rules from past years. Since I had never been to one of the Blue and White games, it didn't make much difference to me as this was a new experience. The stadium was filling up though, so right before kick off I decided to take a panoramic shot with my phone. It actually turned out quite nice.

(Please ignore the scoreboards, they're being remodeled. Can't wait to see them when they're done!)

I read the next day that there were roughly 72,000 in attendance, which is great! Before we knew it the first quarter was over and they were getting ready to start the second when coach Franklin wanted to make an announcement to the fans. He was pleased with the turnout, and also stated that he wants 107,000 strong at each home game this year. He expressed how excited he was to be in Happy Valley, and then he started a "We Are..." chant which was amazing (Even his "Thank You...")! The entire crowd just roared and it totally made the game. He's going to fit in perfectly. Danielle and I decided to leave at the half and head back downtown, at this point Blue was up 17-0.

We went into a few stores downtown, I wanted to look around, but I could not handle the crowds inside. We decided to head back to Danielle's to get ready to go out for the evening. We were planning on going to the Shandygaff (better known as the Gaff), since I had not been there in over a year, and it is my favorite bar in State College. Knowing it was Blue and White weekend, we knew the crowds were going to be ridiculous, so we decided to head to the bar around 8:30. The line wasn't outrageous yet, and we were able to get in, get a drink, and get a table by the wall. We ran into Dani's cousin and friends, and a friend of Dani's met us out as well, and I have to say, I had the best time! We danced and sang the night away and ended up being out until about 3-3:30, and of course we had to get up and run a 5K in the morning (believe me, I do not advise that).

I will post part 2 of my weekend/race recap tomorrow. I hope everyone had a great weekend!

QOTD: Is there something you just have to have when you visit somewhere? (Like I have to have Sheetz) Or is there something you have to do every time you visit a certain place?

Let's Start From the Beginning

I decided it's best if I start this blog off with a post about who I am.

I'm Stacey, but prefer Stace. I'm a single, young professional in my mid-twenties living in Upstate New York with my miniature poodle, Coco. I love all things Penn State (Alum) and Disney (Annual Passholder).

I was born with congenital heart disease; pulmonary atresia with an intact ventricular septum, and an atrial septal defect (ASD). Pulmonary atresia is a condition in which the pulmonic valve does not form correctly. In my case, instead of a valve between the right ventricle and the main pulmonary artery, there was a sheet of tissue blocking blood flow between the two. Lucky for me I had an ASD (fancy for hole in my heart), this allowed the blood to shunt from the right side of the heart to the left side. Unfortunately, it was not being oxygenated. I became cyanotic (blue), and was rushed to Golisano Children's Hospital. At only one day old, I had my first open heart surgery: A Blalock-Taussig shunt was performed to shunt blood to my lungs to be oxygenated.
At three days old I had my second open heart surgery; the surgeons opened my chest and removed the undeveloped pulmonic valve, so that blood could flow freely to my lungs to be oxygenated.
Finally, when I was 16 I had the ASD closed with a small wire mesh device called an Amplatzer Septal Occluder Device. This was done though a catheter in my groin. 

Now, nearly 28 years later, I am doing well. I'm still living without a pulmonic valve, but my Cardiologist said he doesn't think I'll ever need one. With that news, I asked him if I could run a half marathon. His response, "Yes, you can do whatever you want." So I took it and ran with it... literally.

I ran my first half marathon in 2013, runDisney's Princess Half marathon. Since then I have done 2 more half marathons (including the Glass Slipper Challenge - photo above), and I am planning on three more in 2014. I'm actually really excited to go back to see my Cardiologist this summer and show him all my medals from the past 2 years!

So, what can you expect to see on this blog? A lot about running! Ever since I ran my first 5K in 2012 (runDisney's Tangled Royal Family 5K), I became somewhat addicted. I'll be recapping all of my races, writing updates on my training progress, and throwing in a dash of my life outside of running.

Enjoy, and thanks for stopping by!

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