While You Were Sleeping

I was getting ready for work this morning when I turned on the TV and saw an old friend of mine doing her now weekly make-up segment on the morning show. Now that I have Fios in my room, I've decided to embrace the mature adult I've grown into and actually watch the morning news. Though I am quickly remembering why I never liked it. There is hardly ever anything positive on the morning news. Not even the weather! Crazy! but I digress. It really brought so much joy to my heart to see her up there on the big screen. My big screen lol She has such a passion for make-up and has worked her butt off to turn it into a career. Over time she has grown into the person she needed to be to achieve the goals she set for herself. Goals to make her dream a reality. This is just one story of many, but it was a nice reminder of how dreams do come true and quite a motivating way to start the day. Sometimes I get upset about the time it will take to get to where I want to be. I know I've made significant advancement, but I get a little impatient at times. Just like anyone else, I imagine. I'm so proud of the person I am today and I do my best to improve each day. I just want to be better than yesterday and stronger than the girl I once was. 
I keep seeing that quote floating around about "you have one month to finish the book of 2014. Make the last chapter a perfect one." I'm happy to report that despite the crazy obstacles that came my way, I still managed to get out on top and let's not forget... finishing a full marathon! The year isn't over and I'm sure there will be other obstacles, but there is plenty left on my plate to get done and more people that need helping. All I can do is take it one day at a time :)

At Least I'm Not Addicted to Cocaine

(because we're all thinking it)

Tis the season to...um? be thankful? happy? For some it's a time of love, joy and family. A time for couples to share and bask in each other's company at the nearest Christmas tree or ice skating rink. Maybe it's a romantic candlelit dinner finishing just under some mistletoe getting that one perfect kiss under a few snowflakes... Yes, the happy perfect couple. Then there's that young family with children who always get along and play well together huddled in the snow working together to create their own Olaf. Not a single ounce of hardship or turmoil in their smiles. 

For others it's a season of countless nights in the back corner of a dim lit dive bar, drowning their sorrows in a bottle the best way they know how, all while being forced to listen to the same old Christmas pop songs playing in the background. If you ever saw Miracle on 34th Street with little Mara Wilson, you'll know what I'm talking about! Also reminds me of that scene in French Kiss when they talk about happy people and Kate goes "You'll be one of those grumpy old men sitting in the corner of a crowded cafe, mumbling to yourself, 'My ass is twitching. Your people make my ass twitch.'" You know the kind of people I'm talking about. The ones who keep their houses dark and cold. Who wear the same pajamas for days refusing to shower, drinking their way through a bottle of whiskey while reminding yourself of why you hate people and holidays. wait what? did I just say? Yep... I'm looking at you, buddy! 

But hey, don't get down on those happy flourishing couples! With all your anti-social antics you won't have to worry about being invited to that Ugly Sweater Party or Santa Baby contests. You won't have to fight for a spot on the couch in front of the TV. Nope. Shoot, you won't even need to waste money on trivial things like electricity because who doesn't enjoy a nice dark room to match that black cold hearted soul every once in a while. Just give those happy fools a little time and keep that seat on the couch warm. They'll be joining you one day soon enough! Until then, I'm going to have to politely ask you to get the fk off my couch with your problems! BAH HUMBUG! 

Merry Christmas you filthy animal...

People Helping People

Yesterday we celebrated the grand opening of Missing Link Physical Therapy!! A dear friend of mine decided to open his own practice and asked yours truly if she would be a part of the mission, vision and above all... dream. Let me just say that I was truly touched at this request. There was no turning this down even if it meant a lot less sleep going forward! haha This is someone who has spent his life helping others and getting them well. He's one of the few left out there with a genuine and selfless love to help others. I am so thankful to have him and his family in my life. They have been so supportive and encouraging helping me chase my dreams. They were there when others backed down and walked out never doubting my abilities. I will forever be thankful for that. So now it's my turn to return the favor!
This is no ordinary Physical Therapy office. This is much more than that. I'd go as far as to call it an overall wellness center. It's a holistic approach to all things health related. Sure he's an amazing physical therapist, but our team also consists of an awesome Massage Therapist(another cool friend of mine), a personal trainer, a dance instructor/trainer, and his beautiful wife enriching everyone with all things Arbonne related. If you haven't checked out their products, you definitely should! We will also have someone helping out with a mental health background. The purpose of this clinic is to get everyone feeling better and healthy. Not just returning to your activity from a sprained ankle but rather all things mind, body and soul related. 
Since we both share the same passion to improve qualities of life, he felt it would be beneficial for both of us if I joined the team. I would have joined anyway, but the perks here are that I will get to be on the injury side of health and fitness! I'll be able to get all kinds of training and gain new knowledge of all things relating to my passion and ultimate goal in life that I'm currently working towards. I'm so excited to get started this week since we are now officially open for business! I'll still be working for the running company and school will still be very much a part of my life. I know I'm taking on a big load here, but I'm happy to do it and the way I see it is it's only temporary. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to your final destination. It will be much more rewarding in the end and all these "sacrifices" are actually blessings and will only help me along the way. You know you're on the right path when your life just suddenly falls into place and everyone is happy to help you reach your destination.  :)

Meet Dr. Andre Heletsi and his beautiful wife Amanda!

I Release You

Sometimes I wonder if I’m wrong for not feeling anything
And sometimes I blame you for feeling nothing.
Sometimes I wonder if I should have fought harder for us
And other times I can’t grasp my mind around why.
Sometimes I think back on how perfect everything was
And how it was all just a figment of my imagination.

I remember so much laughter, the music, the movies and the jokes.
I even remember the Nerf gun fights, teasing, and chocolate covered strawberries.
I close my eyes and I’m back in your arms, in the midst of passion and so much love.
Waking up next to the one thing I wanted more than life itself. 
The reason for my smile every morning and night.

But I have to also remind myself of the lonely days, dismissed feelings and confusion. 
I remember that final day as if it were happening now.
In seconds I'm back in that moment and I can see my heart shatter. 
I feel it breaking into a million pieces with no one around to help.
Your words on the other end with no remorse.
The words of someone I had never met.
But they were your words. It was you. This was real.
And the person I had come to know and grown to love was but a 
Fallacy created in my head over years to hold onto the one thing I never had…

1st Marathon - DONE!

The North Face Endurance Challenge

oh boy, where to even begin with this one? I guess first things first... WHAT WAS I THINKING SIGNING UP FOR A MARATHON WITH ONLY A MONTH TO TRAIN?!?! I must have still been high on endorphins from the Nike Half. It just seemed like a good idea at the time. I mean, I was practically half way there with training, right? and wait a minute, this was no ordinary marathon. It was a trail run. I mean I knew trail runs were harder so I trained over and over on the hills around my neighborhood. I even went out one day to the actual course to get a better idea of what I was in for. I knew I wasn't going to breeze through it, but I also knew I would at least finish. At this point, that's all I wanted. To finish a full marathon. I would work on better times with future races, but I wanted to get it out of the way instead of continuing to put it off. I actually amazed myself with how many half marathons I had completed since the Nike Half with all the training. Prior to race day, my longest run had been 19 miles. Sounds like a good amount except I'll be honest in that it did involve walking. There was just no way I was going to be able to run all that straight through. I did the best I could with the time I had and I felt like I was on cloud 9 the closer and closer we got to race day. I was so pumped and ready to get this done! Then 24hrs prior to starting time, nerves set it. Had I really trained the best I could? Had I done everything right? Had I eaten enough that week and had I consumed enough water in all the days leading up? How was I going to do with a CamelBack for the duration of the marathon? I am not used to having anything on my back, but it was supposed to be one very hot day and only 5 aid stations total. I could either suck it up and haul some water around or run the risk of dehydration. I knew it would be harder than my other races, but I was ready to get this done and have a full marathon in the books.

Race Day

It was a beautiful day and I of course was all kinds of nervous. I must have pee'd 4 times before even starting. One of the guys let me borrow a CamelBack for the race and we were good to go. It was 3 of us running and only 2 of us were running our first marathon ever. I'll try not to bore you with too many details, but let me just say that all the training I did had not prepared me in the slightest for this course. I should probably look into elevation changes and figure out exactly what they mean next time I sign up for something like this lol Some of these inclines were just unimaginable. I couldn't believe the 50 miler group was already finishing up and running past us a full speed. We were only just a few miles into ours when a girl tripped and fell. She was screaming at the top of her lungs for a medic and while the guys ran to get one, I ran to her and stayed until someone came back for her. As I approached her I thought for sure there would be a bone sticking out of her skin, but thankfully that was not the case. She finally calmed down and apologized for being so dramatic. That maybe it was only a charlie horse. Let me tell you, when I saw her fall and the level of screaming she was doing I thought for sure I would not survive this race. There was no way... not that I would get tired and give up, but more that I would actually die or have some serious injury that would result in me bleeding to death. Yes, fear was instilled in me at only mile 4ish. At least i think it was 4 ish... there were no mile markers unless you were at an aid station, but alas there was no turning back. I had to keep going or at least try. Despite having my feet fully submerged in water a couple times, the overall course scenery was just beautiful! The aid stations were phenomenal too! Apparently it's pretty standard for Ultra races. They had potatoes, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, oranges, candy, chocolate, bagels, etc. Definitely made me want to consider doing it again next year. 

"Harder than most of my races" was an understatement. I was tested in more ways than one. It was THE hardest race of my life. It started at Algonkian Park in Sterling, VA and went out to Great Falls Park in McLean, VA. We were to There were times I didn't think I was going to make it to the cutoff. I finished my last half marathon with a 2:30 time and I didn't make the half marathon mark of this race until after 3:30. We were cutting it close on time and I was starting to worry. I was already pushing myself and well at that point I was going to need a miracle to get us done in time. We got the final warning of the hard cutoff at the last aid station and even with all the encouraging from my awesome running buddy, it still wasn't enough to get us there in time based on what the girl told us. I kept pushing and I gotta say that my back hurt more than my legs. I hate hate hate that I had to carry a CamelBak, but I know it was one of the smarter decisions I had made. It was confirmed when we saw a guy passed out at an aid station from Heat Exhaustion. Yes, I know I have to learn to run with one, but this race wasn't the time to do it lol We got closer to the end and when I could see the finish line we took off running again. There was no way I was going to WALK to the finish line. Especially when I had an awesome cheer team waiting for me at the end. I mean, my own mother actually came out for this. She never comes to my races! This was a big deal. I had already felt like a failure for not making the cut off, but was happy to know I did complete my first marathon. Zoila's(one of the BFFs) daughter ran into the course to greet me as I was approaching the finish line. I told her to grab my hand and together we crossed the finish line. Just weeks before I was with her to cross her first 5k finish and now here she was at my first marathon finish. There was a lady at the end holding our medals and I was just overwhelmed with emotion. I totally cried. Like a big baby. It was one of my biggest accomplishments in life at that point. I had no shame in my tears lol

I went to get my free beer(s), take some pics and finally get in my very first Ice Bath! During all that time we found out that we were actually fine on time. That we didn't miss the cutoff and that actually we still had over an hour left to finish! I was extremely happy to hear that and even more so when I was surprised with some Tres Leches cake while soaking in my ice bath then finding out everyone wanted to come to the house for a BBQ. I actually had my 10 yr high school reunion that night, but I wasn't about to cut my time short celebrating with the besties to see a bunch of people I don't really even talk to. Though I totally wanted to brag a little about completing my first marathon haha It was such a perfect day in so many ways. I'm excited to do it again next year, but this time I will have sufficient time to train and I'll have adjusted to wearing a Camelbak and hauling around extra weight. It's true what they say, running a marathon will change your life. As if my life couldn't change any more. It seems to always be changing for the better these days and thank God for that! It's about time things start looking up for me. I fall in love with my life more and more with each day. 

 "When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, that is when you will be successful." 

Race Recap

So I've managed to keep moving since the Nike Half. I mean that's always good news, right? Figured I'd update the blog with the latest shenanigans. Not too long after the half marathon, one of the BFFs informed us that she was doing the March of Dimes and asked if we wanted to join. We had been out the night before celebrating Cinco de Mayo on our own terms and well let's just say arriving to this event was a challenge in and of itself! haha BUT we made it AND even got to meet one of the Redskins. He was actually nice enough to take a picture with us which I was forever grateful for. Still waiting to meet London Fletcher, but I guess this will do for now *sigh* It was actually really pretty. A lot of people came out and it was a beautiful day at Reston Town Center to head out onto some trails. I will say it felt weird to just walk as opposed to run, but we did get to meet some good peeps and her coworker even had a friend that lived on one of the street and got us some oranges to snack on. A bit random, but hey... why not? I'm glad we survived and were able to add another race to the list for 2014. I guess it's not really a race, though if you're walking. Whatever. I'm counting it!

Next up... Mother's Day 4 miler. My brother was actually supposed to do this one with me. Seems he partied a bit too much the night before and well, I was left to run this solo. It was actually kind of nice. I've been working on running without music and it was yet another beautiful day for it. Good turn out and because it was one of the races from the company I work for, I was able to do it for free. I can't say no to a free race. Anyway, along the course I ran into a coworker of mine who had also done the Nike Half. It was nice to chat with her for a bit. She had a system down for a run/walk which I did for a while until we got near a crowd. I'm not a fan of crowds so that's when I took off and ran until I had more open space. She still beat me in the end, though lol good for her! I couldn't stay for the race shenanigans, because I had a family BBQ to get ready for and can I just say the margaritas and food was DELICIOUS!! Epic day for a race and family BBQ.

As the finale to this post, I am including the Run or Dye 5k at RFK Stadium. This was my second time doing this race. Last year I ran it with 2 of my BFFs, Bessy and Zoila, but this year Bessy couldn't join us and instead of just Zoila and I, it was also her 8yr old daughter Cassandra. It was her first 5k ever! She finished and did an awesome job. I was so happy to be a part of it and even more thankful that we were prepared for the color blasting this time around. No one suffered direct shots to their eyeballs or up their nostrils! All in all a success with post race Victory Waffles ...YUM!!  
But wait... there's more! :)

  

Dream World

Wait for the guy who gets up early 
to cheer for you on race day.
The one who waits for you at the finish line 
with Starbucks and a foam roller.
The guy who encourages and supports you 
every step of the way.

Wait for the guy who surprises you with 
race entries or running shoes instead of jewelry. 
The guy who delights in weights, 
protein shakes and the outdoors.
Whose idea of a perfect date is a gym sesh, 
good hike, sporting event or outdoor concert.

Wait for the guy who wakes up 
with the same drive to be better than yesterday.
The confident one who grabs and pulls you in 
for a passionate kiss in the middle of a crowd.
The guy who can't wait to show you off 
to his friends and tell them all about you.

Wait for the guy who looks at you the same way 
I look at my Nike Frees... ❤

Tiffany's necklace for 13.1 miles ...CHECK!

Team Nom Noms

You can't run a half marathon and not have it change you in some way. It never gets easier, you just get better. We've heard it all haven't we? It's true, though. Each time you learn something new. Maybe about yourself or maybe about life. What did I learn about myself? I learned that I really love to stuff my face post race LOL bring on all the goodies!! haha OK so race time... I finished later than my last half. I know, how is that possible? Did you even train, bro? So my first half I finished with about a 2:20 time. This time I finished with a 2:30 time. Oddly enough, I felt like I did so much better this time around. I did a lot better with pacing myself and my recovery time was almost non existent. I was ready and able to play at my soccer game that same night. I didn't play, though for fear that I wouldn't be able to function the next day and wanted to give my legs a break. Smart move? who knows! I was walking on sunshine the next morning, though. The last half I did put me out of comission for a solid week! 
The race itself was incredible. Great weather for it and who doesn't love a nice long run around our Nation's Capital through a few monuments? It's always been a bit of a dream for me. To have the monuments be my morning runs. Sadly, I'm not close enough to DC to make that a habit :(
So I hit a nice, lovely, monthly female obstacle that morning and thought for sure I was not going to get through the race. Got my breakfast in with good time and finally made it to my corral before it closed. Just barely, though! Anyway, can I just say this was by far the best race I've done so far?! There were about 15,000 runners and who knows the amount of spectators. The signs were hilarious and I very much enjoyed the shirtless men holding up motivational signs. My favorite being "I like fast girls!" School marching bands, dancers, DJs and I'm assuming local bands posted up at a few stops to keep the energy high. There were plenty of water, Nuun and energy chew stops throughout the race. Even bathrooms! I've heard that is definitely a luxury to have at races. Thankfully, I haven't had to experience a dire need for one during a race, but man those lines were long. Not too many inclines... Just a few. Or maybe I just didn't notice because I was in la-la land seeing all the smiling faces and loved ones cheering on their favorite runners. One thing, I thought was interesting was after about 7 miles, walking was starting to hurt. It got to the point where running was actually alleviating. A lot of it had to do with the shoes of course. I was running in my Nike Free 3.0s and before you elite runners start rolling your eyes... I'm fully aware they're terrible for walking. Running however feels glorious so I don't want to hear how "bad" they are for me. Midfoot striker here who does NOT over pronate. I repeat.. does NOT over pronate lol 
Point is, I finished yet another half marathon and felt on top of the world. So much energy, love and dedication from beginning to end. BFF was with me supporting me the whole way and informed me that one of the runners got proposed to at the finish line. AWW!! how sweet, right? Well yes. It really was. I'm not one for sappiness, but I'm not going to lie. Having someone wake up at the ass crack of dawn to stand for a couple hours holding a sign waiting for you to pass by all because it's something you love and they want to have a part in, supporting you every step of the way with encouraging words and chants... it's pretty fkin awesome. I don't have that. In fact, I never really have. Not that I've had several years of a running lifestyle either, but I never really put much thought into it until this race. I've always been happy with my cheer team, but having a special someone waiting for you at one of the mile markers or the finish line of a race like this would be pretty great I imagine. Maybe one day I'll find a crazy who would love to wake up early to stand for hours hoping to catch me for a second on race day. Someone to meet me at mile 7 with a brand new bottle of water, Nuun and/or energy gel OR maybe even someone crazy enough to just run it with me! Until then, I'll just keep doing what I do best and stay high on some endorphins! :)

"What we find in a soul mate is not something wild to tame, but something wild to run with." - Robert Bault

So Many Feels!

Well, the title says it all... so.many.feels. We're already into April and I have been one busy lady! I landed a job at one of my favorite running companies. I'm only working part-time, but it's been pretty awesome since day 1. I basically get paid to watch sports all day and play on the treadmill. Oh yeah, there's training involved too for a couple months which isn't too bad because it's so easy to learn and read about something you're already so interested in. Potomac River Running is mainly known for their personalized shoe fitting process, but I actually didn't know about all that until way later. I got to know about PRR through their races. I've done quite a few and have spent a lot of time checking out their website for future races which led me to see the several fun runs, trail runs, clinics, trainings/classes and workshops they offer. They're very involved in the community and offer great products for pretty much anything running related. Of course I want to work there! The interview was a nice change from what I'm used to. I didn't even know how to dress since I'm used to office jobs. Let's just say I was a little over dressed! They told me if I came in to work looking like I was dressed, they would send me home. That means I get to wear my workout gear everyday I work. Not a bad gig if you ask me. What's even better is that it's only 2 miles from home! If you haven't guess already, let me confirm for you that I do in fact walk or run to and from work. It's a nice little trail with a few creeks and bridges. I will enjoy it more as spring and summer come into full bloom. No more snow please! I'm so over it! 

Next up on the updates is I finally started school. That's right. I am not only officially enrolled, but I have already started attending. I'm only taking one class to finish up the current semester, but it's already been a nice eye opener. Bye Bye social life! As if I really do that much these days anyway lol I've learned to set time aside to study and actually do my homework! That's a huge milestone for me actually. There are only a few more weeks left in the semester so I'll be picking my course load for summer very soon. Full time student, part time employee. I think I'm going to enjoy getting used to this. I won't lie... I felt so out of place on the first day. I know it's not a big deal, but I feel like I did everything backwards in life. Going to school and working part time is something I probably should've done when I got out of high school, but instead was more interested in making the money full time. The thought of going to class, actually studying and completing the assignments was of no interest to me. Today I sit in my lectures being probably the most attentive and nerdy of them all, but you know what... I love it. I've come a long way and I know it's gonna take a while to accomplish what I want, but I'm just happy to at least be starting it. If I'm not out running, playing soccer, volleyball, working or in class then you can bet I'm probably at home like this... 

"He who opens a school door, closes a prison." 

- Victor Hugo

Get Up and Go...

oh Man, where should I even begin? I've had so much going on lately, I haven't been posting anything at all. OK well I've been posting on IG, but not so much my little blog. So let me start with HI! Hope you're doing well and that you have a few minutes to read up on what's been going on :)
I left my job/industry at the end of January. I know I talked about leaving in my last post, but I want to elaborate on it. It was rather unexpected and I was a little unsure of how things would pan out once I left. Yes, I had a "plan" or rather an idea of how I wanted things to go, but as much as you plan things, they don't always turn out as you hope. Well, this has definitely not been  at all what I expected. I honestly don't remember the last time I was this happy about a decision I made! I knew I'd basically have all of February off before starting new employment. So that meant PLAY TIME! In a nutshell i spent pretty much all of February having a great time. I've been doing my runs in more sunlight and enjoying more of my meals now that I have more time to cook what I want! I've also been playing Volleyball weekly and continued with Soccer during the week as well. Additionally, I've gotten all my ducks lined up for school and I am officially enrolled in classes. I start my first one next week! I can't wait! Time to shop for a new backpack!!

So with all that in mind, I went on a mini weekend vacation to Ocean City with a great friend of mine and then the day after we got back, I headed off to Mexico for one of my best friends' wedding. They decided on a destination wedding in Puerto Vallarta Mehiko and before you ask... yes, I actually made it a point to run while I was there. Running on the beach is definitely different than running on pavement! Still... who wouldn't want to run in 85 degree weather when they had just ran away from 13 inches of winter wonderland as far as the eye can see?! Oh man, I nearly kissed the sand the instant i stepped foot on it. The wedding was amazing and Puerto Vallarta was beautiful as always! It wasn't my first time there... I actually have family there so I've been making it more of a priority to visit. Look how pretty it is!! That's just one of the several beaches we visited on the trip.


Once the wedding was over and done with, the next trip was out to Ohio for the Arnold Classic Sports Festival. I'm not sure if you've ever been to one of them, but if you haven't I'd definitely make it a priority. It was incredible! So many fitness heros! Not only that, there were so many events and activities going on from gymnastics and cheerleading to amateur boxing. There were bikini competitions and contest giveaways. Some of our favorite apparel and nutrition companies were there and to just go ahead and tell you the best part: i got to meet DANA LINN BAILEY!!! Not only that, but ROB BAILEY and SEAN SARANTOS!! You might know him as Sean Fitness Freak. He was the most animated one out of the 3 to meet. We met a few other Instagram Fitness Gurus and even saw the lovely muscle barbie. We left with bags full of samples and new gear. I would love to check out the LA Fit Expo one day. I'll get there eventually! Everything in due time.

Now that it's March and play time is over, I've started looking into some work to keep me busy when I'm not at school and of course, pay those bills! I know I've basically done a complete 180 in life and it does freak me out sometimes. I know I'm taking a huge risk doing all this, but if it gets me to where my heart is then that's fine by me. I'm so lucky and thankful to have such a great support system. I know it will be a huge adjustment both in just my regular day to day as well as financially. I figure it's a small price to pay and I might as well get it started now so I can start living my dream sooner than later! I know it's crazy, but sometimes crazy is what it takes to make your dreams come true. Race season is rapidly approaching and with this Nike Half Marathon next month I'm sure you can imagine I'm just going to keep getting busier and busier. I love this new life of mine, though. I wouldn't change it for anyone or anything :)

Fuck it. I'm Leaving.

This past week has been very stressful. I know i mentioned before about the field I am trying to break into career-wise and how currently I do nothing of the sort. I've spent the last several years in int'l business doing mainly coordinating type work. Well, things have gotten beyond overwhelming at the office and I finally hit my breaking point. I wasn't planning on making this move so sudden, but i'm just ready to move on. I'm ready to start what I want and I don't want to waste my life any more at the dead end position I currently hold for employment. Not that I hate the company or anything. I do like the company and i really enjoy the coworkers I have, but when you know it's time. It's time. This past Friday, I submitted my resignation. No, i didn't just decide to do it solely because I was fed up. I knew it was coming, but I didn't realize it would come so soon. I had the talk with my boss in hopes we could come to a new arrangement and he basically said no. So if there would be no change, I wasn't going to stay any longer. It's just not worth it. Since submitting my resignation I've been asked to rethink it and that it would be discussed again as upper management was trying to work on a better situation for me. I gave them more than 2 weeks notice, though. I knew there was a lot left to do and well I wanted to finish my tasks up. Not looking for glorification, just venting because with this longer than 2 weeks to go I find myself counting days till I leave, but at the same time have been approached a number of different times to offer an alternative rather than just leave the company when I had a plan already to begin with. If management can come up with a solution, I'm open to hear it, but if nothing changes I am more than happy to walk. I think what bothers me most is how much it was affecting my day to day mood. Sure a run always makes it better, but i spend so much time at the office that it surpasses the high on life i get when running. Well those last 2 weeks are coming up and right now I just hope I can finish up as much as I can before leaving. 

In other news, we started the season already! Soccer of course. We have an incredible team. A lot of talent with different personalities. That can be a good thing or bad thing. In any event we got our work cut out for us. All the talent in the world is no good if we can't all work together. We had our first game last Wednesday(not this one) and I was having a day from hell(I know... shocking haha). Anyway, worst day ever, right? All i wanted was to just go home and sleep till the day was over, but as team captain that's a big no no. I eventually made it out to the game and although we lost I had a great time doing shenanigans. Let me tell you, it was about 20 degrees and at least half of my face had gone numb within 1o minutes of game time! Moral of my story here... sometimes we have to do things we don't want to, but in the end it only helps make us stronger. It was a tough lesson to learn that day, but it was much needed. Look how happy I was by the end of the game :)

And finally, I just wanted to brag about these AWESOME Nike Frees i designed online. I've been DYING for Nike Flash Pack gear, but let's be honest here... I can't afford any of it! but i can afford the shoes. I designed some Flash Pack 3.0s to say Sunshine Memoirs on the tongues of each shoe. I started training this year with 3.0s for the half in April and can I just say it is definitely a different feel than the 5.0s i have been using?! My calves feel like they're on fire every time i take them out. Good thing I still have some time to adjust and get used to them before the serious training begins. i did really enjoy getting them muddly already, though. What do you think? they're pretty legit aren't they?! haha More to come, just wanted to share my awesome new kicks! Have a beautiful week ♥   

2013 Photo Recap

I made a little video of the main 2013 shenanigans. 
Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed putting it together!

*INSERT NEW YEAR MOTIVATIONAL TITLE*

New Year New Me? Uh NO. Try again!

All these new years resolutions... I mean I think it's great that people are at least trying to be healthier and live a more active lifestyle, but no resolutions for this girl. I definitely have new goals for the year, though. I've come a long way in the last couple years, but i'm not done. Perhaps the biggest delay is due to my absolute obsession with delicious food? Clearly, my number one priority is NOT abs, though they would be nice to have. Hmmm maybe haha Honestly, this year I just want to push myself even further and see what I'm really capable of. Looking into the trifecta for the Spartan Race, i have the Nike Half Marathon in April and looking into the Rock and Roll Half as well. Still need to decide on a full marathon for later in the year. That's right... a full *gulp* i'm very nervous about that. Maybe i'll see how the year goes before commiting to one? Also on the list... ROC Race! Have you heard of it? It's like the Wipe Out game show except in the form of a 5k and it's coming to DC this summer. There's no way I'm missing out on that! Might try the Warrior Dash again, but honestly I'm just trying to keep my focus on events I haven't done yet. I also heard about GoRuck Light. It's an event put together by special ops vets. I've seen some videos and checked out the site... def adding that to the list!

But OMG how effin cold was it today?! and to think I signed up for Winter soccer and for an outdoor league at that. I think my team hates me now and is starting to rethink the idea of playing outdoor in the winter. I don't blame them. I've already started getting emails about if we're still playing tomorrow night because of how cold it is. At first it seemed like a legitimate question and I was going to ask the league, but then i thought... hey isn't this what we signed up for? ugh! The good thing is with all these Christmas sales, I loaded up on cold gear. Now I can go about my morning runs in peace with the perfect gear to keep me warm. My hiking buddy would be so proud of me! For once I put my money towards quality gear that benefits me and I dont have to use all his gear when we hit the mountains during the cold months of January and February. You might call us crazy, but we actually LOVE it. I wasn't always keen on hiking during a snowfall or even in the winter at all, but as always he drags me out and well I can never say no. Wasn't long before I fell in love with the winter hikes as well. I love my friends and I love that they're so outdoorsy. They definitely keep me busy... as if i needed help with that lol 

So already there's a lot on the plate for 2014. I'm sure more events will get added as the days come because you can never really plan everything. Doesn't always work out how you imagined in your head. One thing aside from training that i'll be spending a lot of time on is finally breaking out of the professional industry I've been in for the last several years of my life. I've always loved sports and being active <wasn't always in the best shape for it, but eventually my body caught up with my heart> so I've always wanted to do something related to that. Now that im actively involved in more events and have a better understanding of health and fitness, I'd love to finally break into Sports Marketing. How cool would it be to market for Nike or even be a sports broadcaster! *day dreaming* haha well it won't be an easy switch, but it's not impossible either. It'll take time, but I'm already starting on it and with the help of some great colleagues it looks like i'll be ready to go in no time. I think my biggest challenge will be maintaining patience. I can be very impatient once i've decided on something. Hoping for a smooth transition, but im thinking it will be more bumpy than anything. Tends to be the case with me haha Well, wish me luck! Better days in 2014 :)

Here are the links to some of the events I'll be partaking in. Just in case you might wanna check em out too:

• ROC Race - Game Show Inspired 5k: www.rocrace.com
• Spartan Races - Obstacle Races 3mi, 8mi and 13mi options: www.spartanrace.com
• Rock n Roll Half/Full Marathon - 13.1mi or 26.2 miles: www.runrocknroll.competitor.com/usa 
• GoRuck Events - Events designed by Spec Ops Vets: http://www.goruck.com/en/events