More Goodies!!!

Hey Everyone,

As some of you may know, I had yet to tell my daddy (Craig) about my joining the Army. My mom made me promise to do it by the end of the week. I was more nervous then I was when I was signing my contract; luckily my mom has told almost everyone for me so I didn't have to deal with the reactions except for this one. I thought he was going have a heart attack. The first thing out of his mouth was "YOU DID WHAT?!?!" He then went on to worry about me not finishing school (I will be going back to school the day I finish training); like his biggest fear was me not becoming a doctor (the Army is going give me a better chance to be a doctor then the civilian world would). He asked where I was going and I told him Ft Leonard Wood, he then thought it was in Texas I told him no Ft Sam Houston is in Texas which is where I will be going for medic training, he then thought it was in Oklahoma and I said that Ft Wiley was in Oklahoma, I finally told him again that Ft Leonard Wood was in Missouri about an hour and a half a way half way to St Louis!!! That conversation stressed me out so I went and painted the entire kitchen in a matter of a couple hours; I need to go and put a second/third coat on it today!

I'm having a surprise going away party as I have stated on Facebook and everyone is invited. Technically its not a surprise because my mom told me about it but I don't know any details; not when or where or anything else!!! Contact my mommy (Tammy) at (417)830-4970 or e-mail her at teejayweston@yahoo.com for details!!! Don't be surprised friends if you get a call from some random person, its probably my mom!!!

I'M GOING TO VEGAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My mom is booking all the details today, I'm so excited!!!!!!!!!! One last time to party it up before I start training (well other than the party). We're going from June 29th - July 2nd. Shopping, Shopping, Shopping, Sight Seeing, Shopping, Eating, Drinking, maybe Gambling, Shopping!!!!!! A girls best friend (even though I won't be able to buy anything due to the fact it won't fit me after training is over).

That's enough for now, write more later!
Heather

Happenings!!!

Hey..Again!!

I went running from noon to one this afternoon. It stinks, I hate it. I might be getting better but I still hate it with a passion!!! I went to Battlefield and back at Sequiota Park (its a little over a mile to Battlefield Road and then a mile back to the car). I won't lie I walked a little over half of it because I just didn't want to be out there running. I need to push myself but that is the department that I really struggle with. I did really well last week when I went running with Sergeant Carroll and he pushed me, which proves my hypothesis that I will do good in Basic because they are standing there pushing you to do it as well as your fellow soldiers! I know Sergeant Carroll would be very happy with me if I could pass the 2-2-2 PT test (2 mile run in 19 mins, 50 sit-ups in 2 mins, and 17 push-ups in 2 mins) on Thursday but I don't think it will happen! With the way things are going I'm confident that I might actually be able to pass the 2-2-2 on the 20th which is my deadline (YIKES)!!! If I can pass my 1-1-1 (1 mile run in 10:30, 3 push-ups in 1 min, and 17 sit-ups in 1 min) PT test on Thursday I will be content with myself for the first time!!!

The reality has finally settled in. I'm not scared and I'm not backing out or wanting to back out in fact I'm more excited than ever! For the last month since I enlisted it all felt like a dream, I had to pinch myself to make it a reality. Now I can actually picture myself accomplishing this dream and with flying colors!! I'm excited. Only 43 more days!!!

I'm in the process of getting everything ready. Making lists (packing lists, pictures to bring, addresses, etc). Practicing my hair; we have to keep it above the nap of our neck but below our eyebrows. They prefer buns well my hair doesn't do well on its own, and that is why God invented a thing called a Hair Donut (AKA: Sock Bun or Ballerina Bun; available at Sally's Beauty Salon). Put your hair in a pony-tail, put the donut around the pony-tail, fan hair over it until its covered, secure it with an elastic, and wrap the left over hair around the elastic pinning in place (or use another elastic like I do). I like it and it works well with my hair (which says a lot)!! I tested it while running today and it held up really really well. I still have to figure out what to do with my bangs because they don't want to do anything I want them to do but I have time!! I have a picture of it and I will post it later!

I guess I can't hate my father too much!! I needed an address for my Aunt Vickie and Uncle Dale because they are unlisted. I expected what I usually get...to take forever to get a response and a cold attitude. Well, it took a while to get a response but I found out it was because he had to e-mail her to get the address and phone number (pretty sad but funny). But he also mentioned he was proud of me and to keep up the good work and continue to make progress. He mentioned that he went to the gym for the first time in years on Thursday and is starting a plan called the "Get In-Shape With Heather Plan." I wouldn't go so far as to say that I have his support but I don't have his un-support. I'll keep talking and before I know it he will come around!!

My only complaint of the moment is that I can't sleep in! In less than six weeks I will be stuck getting up at un-nice hours and before the sun even rises (4:30 am), all I want to be able to do now is to enjoy my sleep but NO!! The dogs have to go wild, my mom has to be loud, Don comes and mows then lawn, my phone rings, there is always something at 6, 7, 8, 9, and 1o AM. All I'm asking the world is to let me sleep until like 11:30 AM (that sounds like a good healthy time)!! I know I should get used to it but I don't really need to. I used to wake-up at 5:00 am when working at the hospital or nursing home and I probably function better the earlier the hour but for these last six weeks I want to be able to sleep-in!!!

For now I'm heading off to eat some chow! Later!
Heather

Personal Training Session!!!

UPDATE:
Hi!
Well, today is Wednesday and I got warned that I would be extremely sore today. It didn't happen!!! My abdominal muscles hurt when I try to do sit-ups or crunches but other than that I feel great. The tenderness in my shoulders from the bench press is gone. I have a cramp in my calf muscle that won't go away. But overall I feel great!
Heather

ORIGINAL:
Howdy!
So, yesterday I got the pleasure of having a session with a personal trainer at Fitness Together!! It was fun but it was hard!! I did a warm-up, bench press (I actually did decent which surprised me), chest flys (those things stink), boxing (really fun, actually really difficult, and a great stress reliever), two different ab exercises (ball tosses and leg extenders), jump ups (pull-ups but you jump to help yourself get up, really hard after a few minutes), and jumping jacks (they may have been fun and easy in school but after doing about a thousand of them they are so easy)!!
He warned me that I would be really sore tomorrow (which is now today) and even worse on Wednesday! I'm really not all that sore, my abs are tender, my shoulders have discomfort but I feel good!!!
Personal trainers are expensive and so I'm not going be able to afford them but at least now I know what I should be doing as far as exercise goes!!
All the guys there were great! The two I talked to the most were in the military or had been in the military. Dallas he is a 2LT in the Army getting ready to go to Officer Candidate School, he is a PT champion, and a track and cross country coach at MSU. Aaron the guy I trained with, was in the Navy until he got a medical discharge for an injury. He is humongous buff! It was good getting stories and advice for PT.
We'll see if I'm sore tomorrow but for now I feel great!!!
Heather

Second Future Soldier Meeting!

Hey Everyone,
Yesterday I had my second future soldier meeting and I had a blast! We played a couple rounds of Softball and had a picnic!!!
We met at the recruiting station and all had to have a one on one with the big dog to make sure there was nothing stopping us from being able to ship! After that we all carpooled over to Fastnight Park.
There were well over 50 people there, family and friends were invited but I'd say around 20 of us were future soldiers!!!
There were four teams of 10-12 players, I was on team 3 and we rocked (we only scored 5 while everyone else scored quite a bit higher)!!! I actually did really well and it only took me about 2 times to hit the ball (we stayed at bat until we hit it), I never made it to first base but I was proud of myself and so was my mom! She says I ran like a girl (which I am so I have an excuse) but Sergeant told me I did really good of going out there and sprinting)!!!
After we each played two rounds we went and had hamburgers and hot dogs. I was starving and the food was good!!!
After lunch we all got briefed on Basic and Reception Week. They mentioned to parents to write but stay on a positive note; if your house burns down, if you get sick and have to go to a hospital, or someone falls a breaks a bone don't tell us because there isn't one darn thing we can do about it. Now, if someone dies then they are suppose to contact the red cross and the red cross will take care of it (we can leave to go to the funeral). I've already warned my family not to die because if I leave then it postpones my graduation date!!! They told us the same thing; if we are homesick don't write home and tell our family about it, we can write our recruiter about how much we hate them but don't tell mommy and daddy, we also got told not to over exaggerate because what mommy and daddy know is what we tell them. We got warned to write our recruiters or there will be consequences, but there will also be consequences for writing them too (you can never win)!! We got told some words of advice and then got told to get out!!
It was fun and I always like socializing with other future soldiers because they are the few people that are doing and going through the same thing you are!!
Once again I got bragged about by one of the recruiters for getting airborne and medic; they are prized possessions in the Army and not very many people can get them. I'm lucky and I constantly get reminded about it!
I was on the news (KOLR 10) last night for about 2 seconds. Sergeant Combs (one of the recruiters that helped to talk me into going active) wanted them to come to give us some recognition.
I'm sunburned but it'll turn into a tan (I'm not looking forward to a farmers tan though).
I'll post more pictures once my computer decides to stop being retarded!!

Heather

SORE!!!!!!!

UPDATE:
My knee is still sore and it still hurts when I run but after talking to Sergeant he said that it should go away with time! We will see!

UPDATE:
So, Google is my best friend on the face of the planet!! I have used it to find family member addresses so when I go to basic I can write people as well as used it for a 10 page paper that I had to write the last week of school. I love google! I googled: "My Knee Hurts When I Run." I found the answer to my problem just like I have with everything else! My self diagnosis states that chances are I have developed "Runners Knee." Nothing causes it it just happens with as much running as I have been doing after being inactive for a long time I have strained my knee. It isn't anything serious it just leads to soreness, I may be able to get over it in time or it may be with me the rest of my life. What the article said is that if you strengthen the inner thigh muscles then it will take the stress off the knee cap while running and the pain will subside. Bandages or wraps are out of the question considering they put pressure on the knee cap which is what is bothering me. Runners Knee is when the knee cap begins in rub against bone and wears down on the cartilage between it, it is caused because the way runners tend to land when taking strides. The knee doesn't move in the proper V movement like it should and causes wear and tear! There is at home exercises I can do with elastic bands and I'm going work on it and see if it improves for the mean time I have to learn to push through it!
Heather

ORIGINAL:
Howdy.

Who knew you could get so darn so from running?! My entire body is aching right now and screaming at me not to move. The more I more I work-out the tension and it feels better.

Yesterday was running as I previously mentioned and I did good. I ran in the proper form (head up, shoulders back, arms at 90 degree angle to the sides {like using ski poles}, bouncing off of left foot first with heel, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth). Who would have thought that running in proper form would cause so much PAIN?! I didn't. It did make it easier to run though.

I attempted to run a little bit today and I have a goal to make myself go back out later and run some more but my right knee is killing me!!! It was fine this morning but about the time I got up and started getting prepared it started aching, it has gotten worse and worse as the day has progressed. Yesterday while running I felt like it was going give out on me and I was going collapse but I worked through it. I don't know what happened or why but I'm going try and push through it! I just pray nothing serious is wrong!

What I did run I ran for farther than yesterday without stopping and I know I could have gone farther if I could have handled the pain (yes mom, I know I'm a baby!).

Everyday and every little thing counts and slowly but surely I am making progress. On Monday morning I have an appointment with a personal trainer, I doubt I will be able to talk my mom into hiring me them but they offer one free session and I'm taking it. I'm excited because the guy is a Second Lieutenant in the Army and is the PT Champion and leader so I am sure I will be getting my butt kicked!!! I'm looking forward to it and so is the trainer!

I'm gonna go, have a lot to do today!
Heather

One Month Anniversary

Howdy Everyone!
Well, today officially marks the one month anniversary since I enlisted into the United States Army. I'm still excited as ever. I feel as good as ever. And I'm ready to get this journey started!
I just got done with a run with my Sergeant and another fellow recruit. It went decent; I doubled my distance (I ran more than double but I doubled the distance I was able to run without stopping), I thought I was going to collapse at least one time that I know of, and I improved my form. My Sergeant pushed me and pushed me hard which I really needed and he also encouraged me and told me how well I did and how I was improving. It is still the darn lung capacity that kills me every time!!! We also did push-ups, sit-ups, and crunches (which I stink at {well other than crunches I could do crunches all day long}). I called my mom really frustrated with myself after I got to the car. Part of me is giving up hope in myself I only have 6 weeks left and I have a ton of work (I need to triple my distance and speed-up my speed; Sergeant told me that if I lengthen my strides than I will be able to run a lot longer I'm not exactly sure how I'm suppose to do that though). I'm not going give up, I'm going go to the park everyday and run run run! That way I can measure my distances and it is free (my free week pass to the gym ran out). I'm also going get my iPod back from Brandon so I have something to listen to, I'm going try to download the Army cadences because they set the pace you run at Basic and hopefully it'll help me out a little! I have a lot of work but I made a lot of progress in the one week I worked-out (I took the last week off which probably hindered me a little today) so I know I will be able to make much more progress!!!
On Saturday is my second Future Soldiers Meeting. It is our pre-ship cook-out (they have one about every 6-8 weeks for those getting ready to report for duty) and we will be playing baseball/softball! I suppose to bring my mom because they brief us on reception week and what to expect during basic, it'll be fun!
There isn't much else going on and I'm gonna run!
Heather

Visit With Dad and Parrish Family

Hey Everyone,
I must say that the visit with my father, step-mother, brother, grandparents, and aunt went as bad as I expected! I didn't get their support (which I knew going into it), I didn't even want to go and see them but like my mom said it would be the last time before I start training. They questioned me on everything (which is expected most people don't know anything about the military), they thought I was stupid for going Army instead of the other branches and for joining at the time that I have, they didn't believe me when I told them that I had been working out and getting both physically and mentally in shape, they couldn't understand why I wanted to join, and they mentioned on more than one occasion and worded in several different ways that they weren't sure I could do it!
Well...I must say they are wrong!!!! They are coming up on July 4th and my mom thinks I should go to show them how buffed up I will be (I will have already taken the test and passed with flying colors) we will see what happens when it gets closer to that date!
Its sad when I can get more support, prayers, and blessings from close family friends and strangers than I can from my own family members!
I've been bad and haven't worked out the last 4 days and I only have 49 days until I report for duty so I'm going go hit the gym!
Heather