Rom-com Marathon
Phuong Fulsom
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Sip your favorite beverages with a touch of romance using our Rom Com Glass Can. Ideal for coffee, tea, or sparkling water, this drinkware is perfect for movie lovers and those who appreciate a good romantic comedy. A thoughtful gift for the friend who enjoys cozying up with a rom-com marathon, this hand-illustrated design features icons from films such as How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, The Proposal, Legally Blonde, My Best Friend's Wedding, Sweet Home Alabama, While You Were Sleeping and more!
Calling all John Hughes and 80s film fans! Over the weekend, I went back in time and had a John Hughes triple feature marathon. I am inspired by the love stories in two of the films. After rewatching them all, I found it difficult to choose which of the three I liked the most.
In 2010, Jef Malpass cheered from the sidelines of the Seattle Marathon and watched his friends become part of the 1% of the population who complete a marathon.1 For Jef, who has been living with type 1 diabetes since 2004, this was the motivation he needed to hit the pavement.
Jef has lived with type 1 diabetes for 18 years. Marathon training means he must also overcome the difficulties of his blood sugar levels. Heart-pumping workouts can lead to hypoglycemia, in which blood sugar can drop dangerously low.
While some who live with diabetes might cut back on exercise, Jef is about to conquer his 19th marathon in April 2022. And it is not just any marathon. Jef will run the Boston Marathon and this feat will conclude his amazing accomplishment of running six of the largest marathons in the world, also known as the World Marathon Majors.
We were honored to speak with Jef about his family, his marathon journey and his current role at Hillrom, where he uses his experience as a person living with diabetes to educate others on the importance of taking care of our eyes.
How long have you been living with diabetes?
I have been living with diabetes for 18 years. My younger brother also has type 1 diabetes. He was diagnosed in 2003, a year before me, so I was aware of all the symptoms before getting a diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).
My mom was a critical care nurse (retired after 40 years at the bedside), so I checked my blood sugar on her unit. My blood sugar levels were 240 mg/dl, and I knew right then I had diabetes. Normal blood sugar levels are 100 mg/dl.
I have done them ALL, except Boston. I have come excruciatingly close to qualifying several times and first qualified in 2017. However, by only 18 seconds (3:14:42). There were so many runners who wanted to run Boston in 2018 that, unfortunately, it still was not fast enough to get in.
I WILL be going to Boston and running in 2022! I have run 18 marathons now, along with a 50-kilometer and a 50-mile ultra-marathon. The Boston Marathon is so special, and I cannot wait to experience it.
Can you share what patients living with diabetes should know about their eyesight and the effects of diabetic retinopathy?
Despite having great glucose control, people with diabetes can still develop diabetic retinopathy and they may not even know it before it is too late. That is why it is so important to have an annual diabetic retinal exam (DRE). If you catch it early, 95% of vision loss is preventable.
The RetinaVue care delivery model has the power to help prevent patients from falling through the cracks, damaging their vision and possibly going blind. The RetinaVue care delivery model also allows providers to hit their HEDIS measures and close care gaps, which in turn creates a great financial return for the provider, clinic and health system.
How is training for the Boston Marathon going? What is your anticipated finish time?
I will probably start training in February of next year. I recently ran a 100-mile (with 30,000 ft of elevation gain) trail run on September 11th and have focused on running farther but slower. I will be happy with anything under 3 hours and 30 minutes in Boston.
What is something people may not know about you?
I was ranked 7th in the United States in the under 18 division for pairs figure skating. I try not to tell too many people because it ruins my credibility as a tough ultra-runner.
When Harry Met Sally. Pretty Woman. My Best Friend's Wedding. What do these movies have in common? Well, first off, these are all solid films. But they are also pretty well-known romantic comedies. They're classics you've probably seen multiple times, and if not, you have a decent idea of the plot line. Sometimes we just need a good, new romantic comedy. There may not be many in theaters at any given time, but there are quite a few movies that were released under the radar that you might not have had a chance to watch. Get your TV ready, grab some popcorn, and check out some of the best romantic comedy movies you've never seen.
Penelope tells the story of a girl of that very same name from a high society family who is looking for a suitor for her happily ever after. Well, actually her mother is the one who wants her to find a suitor. And Penelope is cursed. And has a pig snout. Have we lost you yet? A strange premise, but Penelope is a whimsical romantic comedy that sweeps you up into the magic of the story. The cast includes Christina Ricci, who plays the lead role of Penelope, along with James McAvoy and Peter Dinklage. With such big names, it seems odd that the movie fell under the radar, but it came out in 2006, before Dinklage's now well-known role of Tyrion Lannister on Game of Thrones, and McAvoy's film Atonement had just come out. Another big name in this movie? One of our favorite rom-com ladies, Reese Witherspoon.
Fun fact: Penelope was the first movie from Witherspoon's production company, Type A. In addition, she plays a supporting character in the movie. And it's not like the Witherspoon we've seen before. Speaking with Seventeen, she described her character, saying, "I got to run around the streets of London on that Vespa [motorbike] and got to wear the funny hair, and just be ballsy and funny." Any involvement from Witherspoon, and we're in. The film is feel-good and good for you. Not only does it have romance, but it offers a great message of self-love, too. Witherspoon addressed the topic, explaining, "There's all sorts of different definitions of beauty and that it's about finding what makes you unique. It's important to really know yourself."
A movie about a governess and a singer in the 1930s, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day tells a tangled tale about a famous singer named Delysia who needs a social secretary and ends up with a nanny, played by Frances McDormand. McDormand's character, Miss Pettigrew, gets in way over her head and caught up in the hectic life of Delysia, played by the always-fabulous Amy Adams. Delysia is juggling three men and depends on Miss Pettigrew's help to sort out her crazy, high society-filled life. The film has the same screwball comedy humor found in movies from the 1930s and 1940s, and Adams and McDormand are pros that fit perfectly together. Time Out London reviewed the two actresses, saying, "Adams is adorable as the wide-eyed would-be starlet, with McDormand spot-on as the sensible half of the odd couple." And if you want even more Miss Pettigrew, start out with the book, written by Winifred Watson, then dive in and watch the movie. Romantic and hilarious, this film truly fits the rom-com genre.
Martha is a girl who goes through a breakup when she finds out her boyfriend has been cheating on her. Low and behold, the next day she runs into Francis, a guy she has an immediate connection with and starts to fall for. Typical romantic comedy, right? The perfect guy is just around the corner. But did we mention that Francis is a hitman? Oh, and that he is having trouble with a mob family? Not quite your classic rom-com, but that is what makes Mr. Right so great.
Not your typical romantic comedy, Celeste & Jesse Forever feels unique because it feels real. This film tells the story of a married couple who decide to separate, but want to continue being friends throughout the process. They blur the lines of still living together for some time while also trying to date and see other people. Although the movie has some dramatic moments, Celeste and Jesse have the same sense of humor, and we see that consistently throughout the film. Their relationship is complicated, as any real relationship is. The New York Times' review of the film is spot on when it says that the writers of this film, Rashida Jones and Will McCormack, "have righted the sex imbalance of the bromance with a story about two people who, together and alone, express an ideal rarely seen in American movies: a man and woman whose equality is burnished in friendship, not just in bed and marriage."
Just as this movie quietly tackles topics past romantic comedies have not, it also seemed to be released quietly, with many not knowing when the film came out. The casting choices were on point, with Rashida Jones playing the practical Celeste and Andy Samberg playing the relaxed artist, Jesse. We have an inside look at their relationship and because of that, we are able to experience the joys and heartache the characters feel. It's a great movie to watch when you do want a laugh with a taste of reality, found in a genre in which we normally experience escape instead of the real world.
Another film that feels similar to the reality vibes of Celeste & Jesse Forever has to be The Spectacular Now. But instead of a married couple going through a separation, we follow two teens, Aimee and Sutter, who are experiencing first love. The casting of this movie is absolutely perfect, with Shailene Woodley playing book-smart Aimee and Miles Teller playing the more street-smart, partying Sutter. Though very different, they have a connection that draws them together. While we see the dramatic moments that follow young love, we also see the beauty of it. Teller's character brings humor to many scenes, making it easy to see why Woodley's character falls for him. Although not the most well-known film, it became a favorite among critics and its audience. As The Washington Post commented, the movie "proves that revisiting reality can be so much more powerful than avoiding it." The reviewer went on to say, "The movie captures the raw excitement and heartbreak of adolescence so completely that it manages to replace a seen-it-all jaded heart with the butterflies that accompany fresh experiences." Be sure to also check out the book of the same name that this movie is based on, written by Tim Tharp.
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