The Little Things
November 9, 2012

Happy Friday!! This week has flown by for me in some sort of post-race induced high, and it’s hard to believe that it’s already been 6 days since I ran my 2nd half marathon. While I’ve definitely slept a little more than normal this week, I’ve definitely had the time to check out a few blogs as well. Here are a few interesting links I found this week:

Passion on top of Passions: Bri talks all about her own passions and her new role with The Sussy Project!

11 Ways to Help Hurricane Sandy Victims: Clare has rounded up a number of links to sites with fundraisers and other ways to help those affected by Sandy.

10 Healthy Foods Under $1: I love eating healthy foods, but I’m not a fan of the huge price tag that can sometimes go along with them. This article includes 10 yummy and cheap foods that are also so healthy (and I’m thrilled that oatmeal made the list!).

Baked Apple Chips: Lindsay posted an easy and quick recipe for baked apple chips. These sound delicious and I think I’ll be making them this weekend!

17 Ways To Get More Out Of Cardio

From 4:13 to 3:51: My Manchester City Marathon Recap: I love Ali’s blog, and have followed along on her journey to running the NYC marathon. When that didn’t happen, Ali headed up to New Hampshire to try to crush her girl of running a sub- 4 hour marathon. Check her recap out!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Miso Sauce: Emily consistently posts absolutely amazing recipes on her blog. I a little bit wish I could head over there for dinner every night because her food sounds so fabulous! I’ve never had miso sauce but this dish sounds delicious!

Now it’s your turn to share! What are you looking forward to the most about the weekend? Tell me what one (ore more) of your passions is in life!! 

November 8, 2012

Wow- it’s been a crazy last 7 days. Last week I kept going back and forth between being so thankful for running and dealing with the crazy thoughts leading up to my 2nd half marathon. Being injured, I had no idea how the race would go. The race went really wonderfully and this week I’m brimming even more with gratitude toward all that running has given to me in my life.

I’m thankful I completed my 2nd half marathon and set a new PR! The race was really fantastic and I truly loved running it! I was so worried that I wouldn’t even be able to finish the race because of IT band pain, but I not only finished but finished faster than my previous half marathon. You can read all about it here.

I’m thankful that my IT band pain was survivable. Some of my training I couldn’t run through the pain of my IT bands, and would have to walk for many minutes. I’m thankful that with stretching three separate times on the course I was able to get through the pain.

I’m thankful that I only had one really painful day after the race. On Sunday my knees weren’t really bending properly so walking was really awkward and stiff. I’m glad that by Monday I wasn’t in bad pain at all. I’m still a little stiff but it’s been a little better recovery then the first time around. I am still getting calf cramps though…

I’m thankful for delicious recovery food! I’m usually more hungry than normal for a week or so after a race, so I’ve certainly been indulging that a bit this week:) One of my favorite treats? These pumpkin cookies!

I’m thankful for heat. It’s been a little chilly this week, and most days when I get home it’s between 60 and 62 degrees. I’m thankful that I have a space heater and electricity so I can warm up my place (and not have to turn on my heat yet…). This is so easy to take for granted, but especially with all that’s happened in NY and NJ with Sandy, I’m very aware that this is something that shouldn’t be taken for granted.

I’m thankful for all my friends and family who cheered me on through training and running this race. That’s why I dedicated those final miles to my family members. I talk about running a lot and they are so good about listening and giving great advice. I really do appreciate it!

Now it’s your turn! What are you thankful for today? 

November 7, 2012

By the time we got back to the hotel at the end of Day 3 of our trip, I was feeling pretty tired and blah, and I thought the lack of sleep was really catching up to me. My dad mentioned he wasn’t feeling great either, so we headed to bed quickly. WELL- turns out we weren’t going to get any sleep that night because my dad and I ended up with food poisoning. You know what’s worse than food poisoning? Food poisoning in a foreign country, in a hotel, with one tiny little bathroom and 2 people being sick. It was a very, very long night.

By the time breakfast hit I was at least done being sick, and just felt very tired and achy. After staying in bed all morning and eating bit of fruit and cereal my mom got at breakfast, I decided that I couldn’t completely waste my last day in Spain. It was very clear that we couldn’t head back into the old city, but I thought I could at least get outside and walk a little up and down the street (that didn’t go so well because I needed to sit down every minute or two because I’d get dizzy). I didn’t want to waste the day, and I thought maybe lifting my mental spirits by being outside would help me physically feel better.

Even if I wasn’t feeling great, this view was pretty fantastic! My mom and I enjoyed the afternoon looking out over the city and sitting down on one of the streets. I finally had enough and slept for an hour or so and watched some of the Ironman Kona championship online. I ended up sleeping only a few hours that night before having to be up early for a flight. Flying makes me feel a little off anyways, so going into it with a badly hurting stomach wasn’t so ideal.

Our flight from Valencia to Paris went quickly, but once we hit Paris it was a nightmare. We got delayed leaving Valencia because of weather in Paris, and then when we got into Paris we had to go through customs and security again. If you’ve ever been to the Paris airport, you know what a complete nightmare that place is! It’s so disorganized and incredibly poorly marked, and even the people who worked there struggled to help us figure out where we needed to be. We ran up to a gate and they nicely called ahead to our gate and held the plane for us. We were still sprinting through the airport (after barely being over food poisoning but still feeling sick and dizzy), getting yelled at by people because it was incredibly crowded, and the entire thing was just very stressful. Maybe one of my worst airport moments ever. We ended up getting to our gate 20-30 minutes after the flight was supposed to leave, but because of the delay due to weather, there were still others they were waiting on as well. The flight back to Detroit was nine and a half hours, and we ended up watching 3 movies. I didn’t sleep, unfortunately, but I felt too sick to my stomach to sleep.

The views from the plane definitely helped too! This was the English channel.

Some oatmeal in Detroit calmed my stomach a bit, and my third flight back home went quickly.

One big hint- when traveling, bring some food that you know will be ok if you aren’t feeling well. Having a few food staples was critical in my ability to get some calories into me when I wasn’t feeling well.

So, as it turns out, we really only ended up with a day and a half to walk around Valencia even though I was gone for 5 full days. It was a pretty fantastic trip, even with the food poisoning!

Sometimes trips don’t always turn out the way we think they will, and that’s ok. I tried to enjoy every minute of it that I could, even when I felt pretty bad because of the food poisoning. So that sums up my time in Valencia. I know this recap wasn’t the most exciting, but it’s hard to make food poisoning exciting:) I’ll do one more post on this trip about eating in Valencia!

Now it’s your turn to share! Have you ever gotten food poisoning while traveling? What’s one of your food staples when you aren’t feeling well? 

November 6, 2012

For years I’ve been a huge fan of oatmeal cookies. In fact, I’ve used this recipe (Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies-recipe by Quaker Oats) to make oatmeal cookies for six and a half years. About six weeks ago as I was in that half awake, half asleep state, I had a thought (dream?) that made me sit straight up in bed. I wanted to run to the kitchen right away to get baking, but it was the middle of the night, so that wasn’t going to happen. I scribbled down some notes and went back to bed, and didn’t end up making these cookies until two weeks ago. I’ve now made them twice, and they are delicious! This recipe is very much based off of this recipe (just giving them credit!).

Ingredients

Here’s what the step by step looked like:

Mix butter and sugars together, then add egg, vanilla, and pumpkin

Mix flour, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and salt together in separate bowl. Then add slowly to butter/sugar mix.

Then add in the oats and cranberries.

The directions suggest baking at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. You’ll have to watch your own oven but I ended up cooking mine for closer to 14 minutes.

The result? Delicious cookies that taste like fall! You can also put this mix into a pan and make pumpkin oatmeal bars! These cookies hold really well and are the perfect snack.

I also feel like they count a little bit as breakfast since it has oatmeal, cranberries, and pumpkin in them (which I eat for breakfast anyways)! Win-win, right? These would be perfect to make for a Thanksgiving meal too. I’m always looking for great desserts that are lactose free, so this is a popular choice for me.

Now it’s your turn to share! Do you have a dessert recipe that you’ve used for years? What’s one of your favorite fall desserts? 

November 5, 2012

“The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”-John Bingham

Well, this will be my last “Monumental Training Recap”- I can’t believe how quickly training for this half marathon went! It certainly had its ups and downs, but I was excited to run the race and even more excited with the results. If you haven’t checked out my half marathon recap, you can read it here. Here’s what the week looked like:

Total Miles: 14.3 miles run + 7.44 miles walk + 2 miles elliptical= 23.74 miles and 11:30 planks

Well, after races the question is always “what next”. The answer is “I don’t know”. For now I’ll be focused on recovery and I’ll come up with some sort of training plan to keep myself going over the winter. For now I’m still on a runner’s high as I set a new PR for the half marathon (22 minutes faster than my previous one)!

Now it’s your turn to share! What’s one thing you accomplished this week? Do you have a hard time exercising when you don’t have a goal in mind? How do you set goals when you don’t have a race scheduled? 

November 4, 2012

You have to wonder at times what you’re doing out there. Over the years, I’ve given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement

That quote by Steve Prefontaine nicely sums up my experience. I am brimming with self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement right now. SPOILER ALERT: I’m so proud of myself. But that’s getting ahead of the story. Let’s back up.

After falling asleep at 11 pm (SHOCK- especially for the night before a race), I woke up at 5:30 ready to run! I was obviously quite nervous about the race because of the IT band pain I’ve experienced over the last few weeks, but I was ready to fight it out! After my traditional race day breakfast (12 oz orange juice, 1 banana, 1 Luna Bar), I headed out from the hotel (Courtyard Inn on Senate Avenue, where I also stayed for the Indy Mini Marathon in May) to check in my gear. I headed into the Convention Center which was open to all runners (HEAT! FLUSH TOILETS!), where I warmed up and got ready to race. At about 7:50 we all ran to the start, and just after 8 am we were off!

Starting line- still setting up early this morning.

Sunrise as we were about to start.

This race didn’t have assigned corrals, and we were each allowed to pick which pace sign we wanted to stand by. I lined up somewhere between the 10:30 and 10:50 time, and hoped that I wouldn’t have to weave around people like I did during the Indy Mini. My race strategy was to run the way I trained: using the galloway method and running three minutes, walking one minute. I’m going to break this recap down by mile:

Mile 0-1: This mile went by pretty quickly and it was all about finding my rhythm in the race. The crowds were energetic this mile, so it was great to start off on a great foot! Right at mile 1 (I believe) we ran past Lucas Oil Stadium where the Colts play and the Super Bowl was held in 2012.

Mile 1-2: Uh oh- my fear happened and my IT bands started aching around 1.5. I mentally panicked a bit about having to go so many miles while being in pain. This is where I decided that I wouldn’t give myself any choice or option in the matter. It didn’t matter how much I ached, I wouldn’t give up. Not allowing myself to question this was really beneficial I think.

Mile 2-3: Somewhere along here we ran through Monument Circle. The sun was rising at this point, and the sunrise was beautiful. My pace was under 10 minutes a mile, which is definitely too fast for me. I tried to keep slowing myself down, but every time I thought I was inching along I’d check my pace and it would be somewhere between 8:30 and 9:30. It was a fight to slow down

Mile 3-4: I passed the 5k mark at 29:25, a full minute slower than my previous 5k PR. Even though this was part of a bigger race, does it count as a PR? I got pretty nervous here wondering if I’d crash later in the race. I saw a sign here that said “You actually paid money to do this??” and that made me laugh. Yes I did, and it was worth every penny.

Mile 4-5: Right at mile 4 I had to stop and stretch for the first time because my IT band was aching badly. I also ate 2 shot blocks around 4.75. Somewhere this mile I saw a sign that said “Someday your body won’t be able to do this. TODAY IS NOT THAT DAY.” This was definitely encouraging to me and I repeated it a few times throughout the race.

Mile 5-6: I finally took off my throw away sweatshirt at this point. I was definitely happy I hadn’t tossed it right at the start. We were running through neighborhoods at this point and lots of people were in their front yards cheering which was really great!

Mile 6-7: I hit the 6 mile mark and my average pace was right under 10 minute miles. I never even go that fast on short training runs, so I was pretty amazed that I was holding that pace, especially with my IT bands aching the way they were. At about 6.5 I had to jump off the road to stretch for the second time to stretch my IT bands.

Mile 7-8: We separated from the marathoners this mile so the crowd definitely thinned out a bit. Half way through this mile I ran past a yard that had a waist high wall in the front. I hopped off the road again and used it to help stretch for about a minute. It felt SO good and definitely helped quite a bit.

Mile 8-9: I took 2 more shot blocks here, and they continued to sit well in my stomach the entire race. The miles started dragging a bit here. At this point I hadn’t used music at all, and there were less crowds out cheering too. I was getting pretty achy.

Miles 9-10: Immediately at mile 9 I grabbed out my phone to text my family to let them know where I was. I was holding about a 10:30 pace at this point, which is still really fast. I was aching pretty badly and knew that I needed a distraction from my IT bands. I turned on my music at that point and decided to pull completely inside myself (as much as you can in a race) and dedicate each mile to a family member. This mile was for my parents who have been a huge support to me and have been so encouraging in my racing journey. They are always there to listen to my splits, thoughts on training runs, and my mom’s had to endure long phone conversations every day this week as I talked out my obsessive thoughts.

Mile 10-11: I definitely felt a surge of energy here as I thought “only a 5k left”. I wasn’t feeling tired or out of breath at all, which was great. I knew I could push through the pain the last 3 miles. I KNEW I was going to make it. This mile was for my brother (this one) who’s the real athlete in the family. He’s so encouraging and is always there when I have questions in the field of exercise science. During this mile I was passed by the first elite marathoner who was between mile 23 and 24 at this point. Humbling, that’s for sure.

Mile 11-12: I was feeling pretty great at this mile (minus a few calf cramps in my left leg), and the music was definitely helping to lift my spirits. The crowds got a bit thicker here which also helped with the energy. This mile was for my other brother (this one) who, after my first run 2 years ago that went terribly, encouraged me to not give up and to keep running. He’s a great cheerleader when I doubt myself, and encourages me endlessly. He’s in the military, and I’m just so very proud of my baby brother.

Mile 12-13.1: This mile was for ME. Having postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, the fact that I can go 13 miles at all is pretty amazing. I’ve struggled through 9 years of health issues, and I’m overwhelmed with thankfulness that I’m running at all. A montage of scenes played out in my head this mile as I thought of all the tests, trips to the ER, illnesses, and other things associated with this diagnosis that I’ve gone through. I was pretty emotional at this point, thinking of all that I’ve fought through to get to where I am today. It also sleeted for about half a mile, and I was glad to almost be at the finish. I kicked it that last .1 and was really happy to cross that finish line.

My outfit was perfect for the weather and SO comfortable!

I finished the race in 2:31, which is a 22 minute PR from my first half marathon, the Indy Mini in May. In 6 months I was able to shave 22 minutes off my time, and I know that without the IT band issues I could’ve gone even faster and hit under 2:30. I guess it gives me something to still fight towards:) Overall I really liked the course, things were organized really well, and it was pretty flat, which combined to create an awesome race! Despite the weather being in the mid 30’s, my outfit for the race was perfect, and I was comfortable the entire race!

On the drive home I stopped by to see my massage therapist friend who gave me a quick 10 minute massage! It was so nice but far too short- I’m achy! The rest of the drive home was really emotional. I kept playing the race over and over in my head, and there may have been some tears on and off. Tears of pride in what I had accomplished.

Like I said, having POTS adds a whole set of variables into running, and adds some difficulty into the sport. In part, I run to show that my diagnosis doesn’t have to define me, that I can fight through. I am so proud of myself for running the race I did today, and I’m definitely happy with my time! I fought through the pain and conquered my previous time and this course. I’m a half marathoner for a 2nd time. I’m content and so very thankful.

November 3, 2012

Well, after weeks of worrying about this half marathon and wondering how my IT band would hold up, I set out to run my 2nd half marathon this morning. My IT band certainly gave me a run for my money and felt unpleasant for 12 of the 13 miles, but I pushed through and crossed the finish line again this morning!

My finish time was 2:31:48, which is 22 minutes faster than my half marathon PR from 6 months ago. I crushed my previous time and I couldn’t be more happy about it.

I will have a race recap up Sunday or Monday, but I wanted to let you all know that I not only finished, but I crushed it:) Thanks for the support and encouragement throughout training!

November 2, 2012

Thoughts in the head of a runner can be all sorts of crazy the week leading up to a race. It becomes obsessive, focused, anxious, excited, and everything in between (or wait- is that just me?) For those of you who aren’t a runner and want to know what the crazy is like the week leading up to a race (or if you’re a runner and are wondering if you’re normal),  I thought I’d share some of the crazy obsessiveness that has bounced around my head this week.

On the weather: “I should go check the weather again. Something might have changed in the last hour and I need to know what I’m dealing with here” (thought every few hours all. week.).

On clothing: “What if I don’t dress warmly enough and I’m freezing and can’t keep running? What if I overheat but can’t take clothes off? How will I know what I need until I’m part way through the run… and then it’s too late?!” (this goes back to my post on “Now and Then”)

On music: “Playlist… songs…what will I need while I’m out on the course? Should I choose peppy, inspirational, or moving songs? Should I listen to a podcast like I do on my training runs?”

On clothing: “If I wear running tights I don’t have any pockets and can’t carry food and kleenex with me. If I wear a running skirt I can carry food and kleenex but I might get cold. What to do, what to do…”

On shoes: “I think my shoes are shot and that’s causing some of my IT band pain. I need new shoes but there’s only a week before the race. Do I risk running in new shoes with only 15 miles on them in hopes that my IT band won’t act up as much? WHAT’S THE BEST CHOICE TO MAKE?”

On pre-race clothing:  “What do I wear while I’m warming up and waiting to start the race? I think I need to go out and get a throw away outfit. When can I fit this into my schedule?”

On fluid intake: (every day, every hour) “Am I drinking enough? I really need to make sure I’m really well hydrated before the night before the race so that I can be as prepared as possible. Should I drink more? Am I drinking enough?”

On feeling sore: “I think I overdid my workout on Tuesday. It’s Thursday night and I’m still feeling really stiff and sore. Taper is supposed to leave you refreshed and your legs ready to go. Instead I feel sore, achy, and like I don’t want to move at all right now. Will the soreness go away before the race?”

On my IT Band pain: “My IT band is still acting up and doesn’t feel great. I’m not sure how there’s anyway that I can go 13 miles with it being the way it is right now. This is impossible. This isn’t impossible. I can’t do this. I can definitely do this. I’m strong and trained well. Training doesn’t matter with IT band pain. I can do it- I know I can do it. There’s no sense worrying because I won’t know how it will go until I’m on the race course.”

On having to drop out of the race: “What if I have to drop out of the race part way through because of my IT band? Will people in my life judge me or think I’m weak because I couldn’t finish 13 miles? How disappointed will I be in myself? Does it really mean anything about me if I can’t finish? It doesn’t define me or mean anything negative about me if I can’t. Sometimes our bodies just can’t give what we want them to give in the moment. It will be ok if I can’t finish the race…”

On getting a sore throat: “Oh no- am I getting sick? What happens if Saturday morning comes and I have a bad cold? How will my running be changed if I have a bad cold and have a hard time breathing. Agh- go away running nose and sore throat. PLEASE.”

Thoughts get crazy. Seriously. And unchecked they can easily snowball out of control into a negative and distorted set of thinking patterns. Yes, I’ve had some crazy thoughts this week and have said too many “what ifs” and “shoulds” to myself. However, I try to bring myself back to a positive and rational place, and force myself not to check the weather ever single hour of the day because that’s just a crazy thing to do. Runners are passionate, and with that passion comes a little bit of crazy sometimes. Have you ever heard of the taper crazies? Yeah- they’re real, but they also don’t have to completely rule your thought process either.

So, if you saw me the week before the race, I would be at work happily working away, talking to clients and my co-workers. I would have no problem getting everything done during the day. However, behind the smile are all the crazy thoughts that go on. I just don’t always say them out loud because, well…. that would just be too much. Besides, behind the questions and obsessiveness is a whole lot of excitement and building energy for race morning. Saturday morning I toe the line of my 2nd half marathon. I will fight hard for a finish. I anticipate some IT band along the way, and I’ve done my best to prepare mentally for this. But I. WILL. DO. MY. BEST. And that’s what I can do. And I’m thankful I have the chance to run. 

Now it’s your turn to share! If you are a runner, what do you think about or obsessively do the week before a race? How do you deal with taper crazies? 

*This week I’ve continued to put everything in perspective because of the devastation of Sandy. My prayers continue to go out to those who are affected by the storm. I hope the NYC marathon will help to lift the spirits of those in the city.

November 1, 2012

Happy November! Can you believe how fast the year is flying? I definitely can’t. It seems like only a few weeks ago that I was nervously heading down to my first half marathon back in May.

By this point I’m wired, excited, nervous, anxious and all sorts of other emotions about my half marathon on Saturday! While I’ve certainly had many moments of feeling down because of my injury, I’m determined to go into this with a positive attitude and full of excitement. Part of that is recognizing so many things that I have to be thankful for on this running journey. So, in honor of thankful Thursday today, I will be focusing on everything that I’m thankful for in my running journey and for this race! You ready?

I’m thankful that I feel a sense of satisfaction with so many of my runs. Seriously, that sense of satisfaction and knowing that you pushed yourself or conquered something is pretty great! That sense of satisfaction can last for days, and I’m thankful for it! It’s definitely a motivating factor! “You have to wonder at times what you’re doing out there. Over the years, I’ve given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement.” – Steve Prefontaine

I’m thankful that I have the chance to challenge myself through running. I’ll be honest. Running has been a challenge. It’s taken a lot of hard work; i certainly have had to work at it. The challenge makes it so much more rewarding though. Challenging ourselves is healthy for us mentally, and it’s so very satisfying when we meet one of our challenges! “Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” -Joshua J. Marine  “Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it’s all about.” -PattiSue Plumer, U.S. Olympian

I’m thankful for my massage therapist friend who came over and worked on my IT band for free! I’m so lucky to have a friend as a massage therapist. I didn’t even ask her to give me a massage. She was over a few nights ago watching TV and offered out of the goodness of her heart. I’m so grateful and thankful that she was willing to help me out on her day off! What a great friend:)

I’m thankful that I took the chance and started to run. Yes, I know, I really need to get started on typing up my journey to running. I took a risk by lacing up my shoes that first time, and I’m amazed that second run even happened. I’m so happy that I had the courage to try something I had previously hated. It’s been a wild ride so far!  “The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.” -John Bingham, running speaker and writer

I’m thankful that I have such a supportive family who always encourages me in running. When I’m with them they always want to go on a run. I even had a great 8.5 mile run with my brother, which ended up being my longest “long run” for this cycle (oops- stupid IT band injury…). I know that I can call anyone in my immediate family and they will be up for a discussion on running. My dad and brothers have been runners for years and years, and they are a great wealth of knowledge. My mom isn’t a runner, but she’s always there encouraging me and lending a listening ear. I’m so thankful I have encouragement.

I’m thankful that I can sign up for races! I love the excitement of race weekend and the anticipation leading up to it- it’s so fun (and a little nerve-wracking). More than anything though, I appreciate that races keep me motivated for months of training. Races have been huge in my fitness journey, and I’m thankful for them!

I’m thankful for all of your encouragement and advice the last few weeks! This IT band injury has certainly been really frustrating for me to deal with. I don’t like going into a race knowing there’s a chance I won’t be able to do it. I really appreciate your encouragement. Thank you.

Now it’s your turn to share! What are you feeling thankful for today? 

October 31, 2012

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Wow- October FLEW by! As October approached I took a deep breath and jumped in head first into the month, knowing that I would be going non stop almost the entire month. It’s been crazy and fun, and I wish I could have a few more weeks of this fantastic October weather we’ve been having here! Here’s a look back on the last month:

It’s been a really fantastic month! I’m looking forward to November too, but I just can’t believe we’ve already hit Thanksgiving month! Since I signed up for my half marathon in June, November has been marked as a big month in my head, and I just can’t believe it’s finally here! With racing and traveling and holidays upon us, goals are even more important! Here are some of my goals for the month:

Now it’s your turn to share! What’s one thing that you accomplished or enjoyed in the month of October? What are you looking forward to in November? Are you doing anything fun for Halloween?