Winter break has finally started!

MThis is officially my last college break because I'm graduating in May and I plan on spending as much of it as possible in bed or with Kev. And luckily tomorrow starts his 10 days of no school or work (except for our time at the rock gym)!! 

So far we've planned gingerbread houses, seeing Christmas lights, sushi, and pajama days! Nothing sounds better than just having a few days of solid relaxing especially when I get to spend it with Kevi.

PS: we have a coupon for a dozen free donuts from Krispy Kreme that starts December 26th and we're more excited about that than Christmas.

Well it's Monday so...

First lemme just start this Monday off right... with a #mancrush:

He's quite dapper today. He ended up shaving it all off (sad I know), but the mid-shave mustache picture is too amazing to not post.

This Monday started at 1:45 this morning when I was saying goodnight to Kevin and about to hang up the phone. Realizing that this morning would be the first time I had gone to my 9:20 class in a while (sometimes I oversleep...) I checked up on what the syllabus was dictating for today and YAY an exam that I was in no way prepared for. Forgive my french and cue Michael Scott:

So I end up staying up til 3 (with my amazing Kev who stayed on the phone with me and was my constant happy cheerleader)! Waking up at 7 to continue studying was hardly fun, but I dragged myself from my slumber and rolled out the door to the library to continue studying. I show up to class, exhausted, with tons of different factoids running through my head getting all jumbled up and low and behold: it's a take home exam.

YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!!!

This is the greatest news ever. I won't fail and I won't have a massive panic attack about failing! The greatest thing about this was that Kevin, who was pretty tired y'all, stayed up until the crack of dawn (or later) just to talk to me and keep me from going insane as I studied.

You the best Kevi

Molly

Looks a little different huh?

Oh yes there is one more author on this blog now!

The boyfriend is joining me and we co-authoring the blog from here on out! We'll both still have individual posts that you can grab by looking at posts by just me or just Kev but all our posts will run on one amazing feed! We're both pretty excited to see how this lovely thing goes - super high hopes!

I pulled a couple of Kev's posts from his old blog and threw them on here (so despite them saying they were posted by me, they were 100% written by Kev). Hopefully we'll both be much much MUCH more responsible with our posts from now on (I know I tend to disappear for weeks!). 

Stay tuned !!

Molly (and Kev!)

Rethink: Reggie

On Wednesday my Cultured Body class discussed the "invisibility of the poor" and today I experienced that full force and I really wanted to share what happened with you.

I was sitting outside of a Starbucks in DC when an older man approached me. He was slightly hunched over and very tentative when he extended his cup to me. All he asked for was the change from my coffee. As I don't carry cash I was unable to give him anything and he said that was alright and wished me a good day. I watched him walk up to the next woman who quickly started to busy herself with her toddler and then mumbled that she didn't have anything and quickly averted her eyes, flicking them up a few times to see if he was still there, as if she was embarrassed of her own response. Then he moved to the next woman, who happened to be on the phone. Without so much as even looking up she puts her finger in her open ear as if his gentle asking was as annoying as buses going by. I was immediately appalled at her audacity. To be someone with so much privilege and apparent financial stability, and still unwilling to assist others. And then I got that horrible feeling when you realize you've done something incredibly hypocritical. 

How dare I judge her, when I could have given and I did nothing? While I don't carry cash I do have resources: phone apps connected to my banking, a credit card. After catching up to the older man I told him that while I don't have cash I would be happy to buy him lunch if he wanted to go to Panera or one of the shops. He chose Subway and on the way I learned that his name was Reggie and that he was supporting his sister and daughter. His daughter is a full time student and he's very proud of her, all of the money he makes at his job on the Metro goes toward her school and he goes out to try to "pull" for his sister who's at home. He was extremely polite and careful with my safety as we crossed the road (he made sure a right turning car wasn't going to hit me). When we got to Subway Reggie ordered the cheapest thing he could and asked if it was alright order a cookie along with his sandwich. He hugged me quickly after lunch and thanked me, which really gave me something to think about: why is giving to those who are struggling such a big deal? Why isn't that the normal thing. 

Reggie didn't coerce me, guilt me, or anyway try to convince me to help him. He wasn't rude, he didn't abuse the help I was offering, and he definitely didn't take it for granted. People have so many little excuses for why they don't extend a helping hand, and that's not considered wrong. It's normal. This whole experience just really made me question why not helping is normal and accepted, and why helping makes someone a hero. Helping someone in need is an act of empathy, it's a human characteristic, why is acting like a human in specific cases such an amazing act?

Did you miss me?

CAUSE I MISSED YOU!

Okay pinky promise that I will not disappear again.

Kevin and I spent a super amazing vacation up in Acadia, Maine! Tons of amazing rock climbing and I absolutely loved every minute of it. Kevin as always was a total champ and you can see all his amazing pictures by visiting his blog! (Oh yes, I've turned him onto blogging).

He's so sassy he was made for this! I mean, come on, look at that face.

I had some great climbs up there! It was absolutely beautiful and we got to climb some cliffs on the coast! The views were insane. I worked on some of my first ever traverse problems! They were much different than anything else I had climbed before, and seeing as I haven't been climbing very much in the past year I wasn't expecting much to come from it. But there was a huge crack that made my hands pretty easy so I got to focus on my feet. 

Then I started working on a V2 that definitely had a reaching section. I ended up having to half reach half dyno to a jug that ended up tearing my pinky one sweet flapper. But I was super dedicated once I got that jug and topped out a few moves later! Don't worry, I left my blood on top of the boulder!

From then on it was cake! And I got a few more good climbs before we went home!

We also did some regular mountain climbing!! And from us to all of you: GO TO ACADIA! Or honestly any national park. Climbing, hiking, swimming, bird watching, WHATEVER YOU WANT!! Just get out there and enjoy nature's beauty and your nation's gift.

xx

M

(and K)!

First Post!

Hello WORLD!

This is the beginning of something that has the potential to be pretty fun: a no-nonsense review site based on my personal use of shoes, harnesses, chalk bags/buckets, climbing salves, and whatnot; a some nonsense account of my personal climbing endeavors as I progress in my journey to climb things and compete in the climbing world.

A little about me:

I'm 23! (Screw Blink-182 and their song "What's My Age Again")

I've been climbing since 2011 starting at my undergrad St. Mary's College of Maryland (SMCM).

I am employed at Earth Treks (ROCKVILLE) while I pursue an MA in psych at American University.

I mainly boulder. Admittedly, I should top-rope and lead more, but I really am a boulder at heart.

I project V7s at Earth Treks, and my highest route difficulty is 5.11c.

My love for climbing started late (it seems that climbers are younger and younger each season), but I plan on doing my best to make up for lost time. I hope you'll join me regardless of whether you are just curious about climbing or send Half-Dome at Yosemite for a warm up; whether or 5 years old with proficient computer skills or 80 years old with a desire for adventure.

My measurements and body type (for your consideration when reading my reviews)

6'2" and proud of it

Medium Shirt Size, 31W 32L Pants

170 lbs of hopefully muscle

Shoe size (let's get complicated): 

La Sportiva - 40.5 Men's  based on Futura

Climb X  - 9.5 US Men's based on Sky-Rock it 

5.10 - 10 US Men's based on Coyote

Regular shoe size 10.5 US Men's 

Til next time!
Kevin

Balt 10 Miler and Summer romance

So no I have not fallen off the face of the planet, I've just been very busy thus far this summer! 

I completed the Baltimore 10 Miler and got a terrible time (one that I wouldn't care to put into writing). I was still have issues with the stress fracture in my right foot, which means I went into the race with little to no training in the few weeks prior. Thankfully my next race isn't until October, so I have (what I'm hoping is just enough) time to recover and train for that race, BECAUSE! that race is my second ever marathon, and beating my time last year (on the same course) would be outstanding for me! I would literally jump for joy. However I'm not banking on anything, it's been a rough year for me, running and otherwise.

When I last checked in things were going great with Kevin and guess what, they've only gotten better! I moved in with my short term boyfriend in DC so I could be closer to him and closer to work over summer. Getting to see him everyday is a huge and amazing perk that I really didn't expect to get this summer. And spending so much time together is really allowing us to share hobbies. He's started running more in some Brooks Pureflows and I'm going to start rock climbing (his passion) soon! Fingers crossed that I don't kill myself.

As always, run happy everyone!

M

My poor poor feet/toes

Say a prayer for my poor tootsies everyone! All my 100s of miles have finally caught up to my feet/toes, but let's begin with my feet.

The battle against my stress fracture (R) continues and now I am having additional ankle issues and outer sole tendons stresses. Ladies and gentlemen, pardon my French, but it's a shit show.

My left foot was holding on a little better, but alas I am back in the land of plantar fasciitis. You won't know the pain unless you'd had it. Plus it feels like I the tendon that runs along the arch of my foot is knotted and tight.

Horrid, y'all. Simply horrid.

And real quick with my toes: pulled ligament on my left foot, one bruised toenail, and on the right foot I have a split toenail on my big toe which makes weight baring and running pretty rough.

I spared y'all the pictures! (Now promise you won't tell Kevin how bad things really are?)

xx

M