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…

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... ❤

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

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It's been a while since I've posted. Been doing a lot of running around looking for all the Christmas trees I can find. I'm a pretty big Christmas nerd! I was able to squeeze in a Turkey Trot with my BFF Thanksgiving Day before hoping on the bus to head to NY for more fun. It was the first event i did with some Chivers. They were so fun to meet! I have yet to meet a Chiver I haven't liked and what better than ones who like to run! It was my first time running around the Capitol in DC. I gotta say it was absolutely beautiful! Would love to do more runs out there when it's WARMER though haha. 



I also got the amazing confirmation of being able to run in the Nike Half Marathon next April!! I'll be starting on that training sooner than later. I'm excited to have more time this round. Hopefully I can beat my last time. The point is to keep getting better and always improving right?Well, that's the plan. I'll be running with a bunch of women I've never met, but i'm sure it'll be a good team. They have informed me that we will be wearing team shirts. I'm hoping it's something more on the humorous side rather than badassery. Beggars can't be choosers though, right? Well i can at least dream! I'm also going to have to work on a good playlist for then too. Back to the gel shopping and i'll be breaking in a new pair of free runs for this one. Just haven't picked out which ones yet.Nearly fell out of my chair at the office when i got the news!! I've heard good things about this race... let's be serious here. I'm in this for that Tiffany's jewelry! I bet it will be beautiful OMG i can't wait! I just want to go out running again right now to train for it :)

Other than that it's been the basics... running outside, training at the gym with le BFF when we can and looking for more Christmas trees ...hopelessly chasing after the same high as years before. This year was not at all what i had once thought it would be. That's a part of life though too i imagine. We can never really make plans because anything can happen and not always in the way you'd hoped... Wasn't easy and i'm still pushing through it all, but time waits for no man. So I just gotta keep moving! One day this will all make sense. Until then, i'm just going to laugh through all the pain, hurt and confusion. There is still so much beauty to this life and I don't want to miss out on any of it...

Incubus of Viral Plague

Clearly, running in the cold while sick is the best way to get better. My body is a basket full of lies and deceit! Let me tell you! By Sunday evening i was feeling pretty good. Maybe it was the work i put in at the gym or maybe i was just actually better?! Sure i was still a little congested, but nothing major. I was fine. Practically good as new. So what do i do? I wake up bright and early to start on my morning runs outside again. What better way than in 39 degree weather? At least i had on long sleeves. I am slowly making progress, i promise.Went ahead and ran a few miles then headed home to get ready for work. Oh man it felt AMAZING!! i missed my morning runs. I had taken up afternoon/evening runs(depending on the time i got home) for the last several months. I've always preferred morning runs, but waking up early was suddenly not as easy as i remembered it to be. This past Monday i was determined to start again and no one gets in my way when i make a decision to do something. So there i was feeling amazing and accomplished. Showered and headed to work. 

After work i met a friend out at Redskins Park for a Ladies Night event to include dinner and DRILLS!! That's right, we got to run some drills like the guys do at practice. Except we did it indoors. Even got to kick a few field goals. SUPER FUN. Met some players and alumni while we were at it too. So there went workout #2 of the day, but it was too much fun I could hardly consider that a workout. Same with running. I love it so much, it doesn't feel like a workout sometimes. sometimes! lol so after training at Redskins park, I decided swimming would be exactly what i needed to do. Went to the gym with one of the besties and did about 30 laps. Not bad. I was definitely pleased and pretty exhausted. I was mainly excited that i wouldn't be up until 2am from endorphins. This happens a lot with evening workouts. Instead i was practically falling asleep when relaxing in the hot tub. We decided to head out and call it a night. Which

brings me to Tuesday morning. Bright and early outside for another run. This time just under 5 miles. Now, temperature wise it was warmer than the day before, but if you were actually out there you would know it was MUCH colder and way windier! But hey, no pain no gain right? So there i go finishing my morning run. Got home to get ready for work when it all hit me. I do mean ALL... after just a couple hours of being at the office my throat was scratchy, eyes burning, couldn't stop sneezing and coughing. I could barely keep my head up because of the throbbing. I could feel the fever coming and my body was just shutting down. Hour by hour... i was coming to an end. Wasn't long before i was told to work from home the next day. I wasn't allowed back in the office. You know it's bad when your coworkers don't even want you there!

I come home to a very angry cousin. He's been staying with us for a while. Go figure ...he spent quite a few years as a nurse and let's just say i got chewed out pretty bad that evening. Something about I shouldn't have been working out when I wasn't fully recovered from whatever I had over the weekend and on top of that overdoing it. So he's had me on strict orders. Absolutely no working out until I'm better along with a few home remedies. I haven't been allowed out of the house, but I do feel sooo much better now. He said by Friday I should be ok to workout again and go back to my routine. Well, here I am all excited to go running tomorrow morning when he hits me with "nope. you're not ready. I'm glad you're 90% better, but i can tell you still have a sore throat so absolutely no running outside." I feel completely useless right now. That's prob why i'm able to post in the blog... because i haven't been able to do anything else!! :(

The pics are of the past shenanigans this week. I wouldn't recommend anyone put their bodies through this torture when they're sick. Definitely be smarter than me and give your body time to recover properly. Don't be stupid and stubborn like i am. I just feel so lost if i can't run! Well, until my next shenanigans... *sigh*

Nearly Naked Mile - PR'd

Nearly Naked Mile - Reston Town Center

Towards the end of last week I started coming down with a some kind of cold/flu. I hate hate hate being sick! Mainly because I know it means i have to put my workouts/runs on hold. Well this girl can be a bit stubborn at times and decide she wasn't going to stop. I had signed up for the Nearly Naked Mile race in Reston and figured, hey what's a mile?! I ran a half marathon for goodness sake. A mile is nothing! I'll just run it super fast and head straight home back to bed with my medicine after it's done. Well Nearly Naked Mile implies nearly naked attire. That's right. A lot of skin to bare and with me being sick it was a tough call. Major crossroad in my life. I decided to go with a t-shirt and a tutu. I know what you're thinking: Man! She's so good at this taking care of herself bit. Well let me tell you it was FREEZING cold that day. I did arrive fully layered up though with snowboard pants, a hoodie and scarf, but come time to run... the layers had to come off. By then i was so pumped and warmed up, I forgot i was sick. I decided, hey let's just sprint this thing as see what kind of time i can get! Well, I did just that and i actually PR'd. I was soooo excited, but about 15 seconds to the finish line my body was begging me to stop. Honestly, i could hear it crying from everything i was putting it through. I wanted to just come to a complete stop. I felt like i was really dying. Not because i was tired/out of breath, but because i was in pain, feeling horrible, weak, eyes burning... you get the idea, but how many people do you know that actually STOP before crossing the finish line? No. That's when you have to push yourself even more. Figured it would all be over sooner and I'd prob get a pretty good time. Well i definitely got the pretty good time. My fastest mile recorded at 8:55. Sure it's not the fastest, but it is my fastest and you know what?... i was running with the flu so don't even hate because who knows what time i would've got had i been healthy! Needless to say i nearly collapsed by the time i finished. Super nauseous. I could feel the fever coming. I raced to get my winter gear and begged to go home. I couldn't even stay for the after party or mini ceremony :(  

I am excited to share that one of the runners on my team. A friend and sister of one of my best friends actually placed #1 for fastest in our age group finishing her mile at 7:22. Now THAT is incredible!! We'll be doing more races together and i'll likely do my first FULL marathon with her next year. So despite torturing my body with all that, I was happy that i went, earned my flannel shorts, cup and PR'd. Sure, i spent the remainder of the day in bed watching movies, but TOTALLY worth and who cares... i love watching movies anyway. Here's a little snap shot of that race. Enjoy!

Instagram: Sunshine_Memoirs

Heritage Half Marathon - Done!

 Achievement Unlocked

Well well well... guess who successfully completed her very first half marathon?!  :)
That's right! All that training on ridiculous inclines and adding those extra miles paid off! Whether it was in NY or in VA, there was always plenty of work to do! I may have only had 6 weeks to train, but i tried to make the most of it. I was really worried about how i'd do since the weather was looking rainy and i had just been informed of the several miles of straight inclines through the course. 8 miles was the most i had done at one time a week prior to the race, but i wasn't gassed out after them so I figured I would be ok. Just get some gels and stay hydrated, right? So there i was... 7am waiting to go. It was dark and it was raining. I thought for sure i'd be done in close to 3 hours. Well, i'm so super proud of myself for not taking 3 hours. I finished in 2:20. Sure it's not the fastest, but it was sure as hell a lot faster than i thought i would take on my first half! I can't really put into words how I feel about it all though. Besides the obvious, feeling incredible and triumphant. I guess you'd have to know what running really means to me to even try to understand. It's so much more than just being healthy.
I started my running journey over a year ago and it was more for therapy than anything. Through rain, snow, heat and fog i found my strength and learned to push through all the pain, sweat and tears. That's right... tears. Each mile showed me just how much i was really capable of both physically and mentally. I was never any good at running and trust me when i say i HATED it at first!! Now i just can't get enough of it. I grew so much more as a person the more I ran and can honestly say I have never felt healthier than i do today. Never thought I'd see the day I would willingly sign up for a half marathon and yet here I am today... taking Advil to recover from my biggest accomplishment. I've been through hell and back in the last year and I couldn't be more proud of myself for sticking through it all and pushing myself to be better each day with each mile chasing after a dream i thought would never come as soon as it did. 
I was so worried about the weather. Afraid to have to run my first half in rain, but when i really think about it, I don't think it would've been the same had it been sunshine and rainbows the whole way through. I think everything about it was perfect. The downpours for all 13 miles is pretty much how i felt this past year and conquering each mile was just a reflection of how far I've come in all this time. 
I was so blessed to have my cheer team with me. 2 of my best friends surprised me with shirts they made to support my craziness. Each shirt said "Team Sunshine_Memoirs" ... i almost cried! Best shirts ever!! Those closest to me who have first hand witnessed my struggle were there showing their love and support yet again like they always do. Waking up at the crack of dawn to stand in the rain waiting for me to finally come through that finish line. Never doubting me, but always believing in me. I don't know what I would do without them. It feels pretty amazing to have that kind of support and I know how blessed I am to have them in my life. God is good and He gets more gold stars for getting me through my first half, but we're not done here... no sir. We're only just getting started. Where are all those fun music ones? Country music and Rock and Roll HERE I COME!! :)

"Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the founder and protector of our faith" - Hebrews 12:1

Team No Days Off

So this past weekend has been one for the books when it comes to training. Going harder on my weights giving it everything I got. By Sunday i was completely sore. I'm talking legs weak, arms sore, chest heavy and body in P.A.I.N. For some reason, running just seemed like a great idea! So how about seeing how I do on the 5+ mi loop i used to run... oh boy. Well, I have to say i'm really surprised i did it all in under an hour. I really thought it was going to take a lot longer. Not sure what's changed the most. my running or walking speeds! haha either way, i'm glad it was just under an hour. Means i'll be back to my old pace in no time. Hopefully sooner than later because this half marathon is coming up fast! I have a bout a month and some change to train for it. By the time I got back from my 5mi loop i fell to the ground and couldn't move. i think i laid there for about an hour. ok fine... half an hour. Point is, i could not move! Unfortunately for me, that was not an option. We had family over this weekend so i had to be up and about walking around. I also got tagged in this yoga challenge on IG by one of my BFFs. Basically they post a new yoga pose daily and you have to do it too. I gotta say, it took everything in me to get it done last night, but i did it! #soproud #teamnodaysoff hahaha well this week is not going to get any easier. Must keep training! It's also time to learn about these energy gels and the other joys of marathon training. Wish me luck... advice welcome!!  :)

Delicious Training

So i'm getting back into the swing of things after a 3 month break. I was able to get some cardio in during that time, but nothing close to how I used to train. I've always thought about how it would be like to run the trails near my job. Every time i sit outside for lunch I see plenty of people walking or going for a lunch run. It's really neat and I've always wanted to do it except for there are no showers in our building. So i just stuff my face and watch the active worker bees hit the pavement. Don't get me wrong, I still train. I just do it when i'm home or near a shower! It's all about the hygiene... smelling like sweat is frowned upon in my work establishment. I don't understand why they have to be so picky! smh haha anyway so this Delicious Training... i decided to sign up for a half marathon *GULP* i have just over a month to train since it's in mid October. I'm super nervous about it, but I know that I will at least finish...
Well, today I decided to hit the trails near my job after work. Let me tell you I don't think there were ANY straights! Hats off to the daily runners. I mean i have a lot of ups and down on the trails by my house, but these trails were more like hazards! They should come with warning signs for your ankles! ok ok you think i'm exaggerating. it's ok, though. I won't stop trying. I figure it's good to train on all types of trails. My joints might not agree, but hey no pain no gain, right? :) 
I'm loving all the runs and with it comes more shoes!! I am definitely shopping this weekend for some more. Need more free runs in my life. Aside from that... I finally tried the fruit in my water bit. I basically shoved a lot of pineapple in my water all day and let me tell you it was orgasmic! Quite tasty! I might have to keep doing this...

Welcome to MY gym :)

Raven Rocks - AT

Stretch-In on the AT

I decided to take some PTO yesterday and head out to enjoy the beautiful day. Leave it to the BFF to take the day off with me and head out to the mountains. I love that I live so close to some of the stretches of the AT. In less than an hour I'm out and wonderfully lost on trails full of beauty! :)

What was special about this hike was that it was with this particular BFF. She is what you would call a gym rat. Straight body building. Works hard all day every day to achieve everything she can and more. She's not afraid to lift heavy and train with the guys. She has earned her right into the bro life. The reason I say this is because we both share a deep passion for what we do. I love running and she lifts, but at the end of the day we just love our active lifestyle. We've done a few obstacle races together and have killed it! We make a great team together. She trains at the gym for the most part. And well, those who know me know i only go to the gym if I have to. Please don't confuse that to mean, i don't strength train or that I hate the gym. I don't. I started there too once upon a time, but i just love being outside. I don't care if it's running, walking, biking, kayaking, paddling, basketball, soccer, hiking... the list goes on! If it's outside, I'm all for it! I love it and I have found several ways to get my strength training in without a gym. I still go when I can and during the colder months, i'm def spending more time there than outside. I mean you can understand why, right? lol i'm not an idiot either! The gym is a great place to train and focus more on specific areas. WELL yesterday I took my BFF out to MY gym. We made it to one of the overlooks and started working out. I only put a couple action shots in my pic here, but we did everything from push ups, dips to bicycle kicks, bridges, yoga, planks, etc. It's just fun for us and pretty neat to take gym life to the outdoors for a bit. On our way back we missed our turn off to head back and ended up roaming random parts of the AT for about 2 hours! *sigh* good times! haha All in all though it was really a great time. Great workout with the BFF and the weather could not have been anymore perfect. A little 10 mile hike on a Monday afternoon? Yea you know ...Just another day in the life  :)

It's an Obsession

Beachin!

It was a very interesting weekend! a couple of my girlfriends and I decided to up and go to the beach for a bit. We got there pretty late in the afternoon on Saturday, but still enough time to soak up the remains of the sun. By Sunday we were pumped and ready to hit the ground running. I have this little obsession with my Free Runs in that I take them with me everywhere I go. I just can't leave home without them. Yes, I even have them at work. I guess I just feel like maybe there will be a chance to squeeze in a run or maybe the location i'm at is just so beautiful that I become inspired to run for a bit. I run because I like it. I'm not the fastest and i'm not filled with superior endurance. I am in no way the best runner out there, but I am one of those that enjoys every minute of it. Whether i'm out enjoying the weather, trying out a new playlist or clearing my mind of a million and one thoughts it's still always the most refreshing part of my day. Somehow exhausting myself is a favorite pastime of mine  :)

Anyway, the point of my story is that everyone has their own passion and it's OK if it's not running. My BFFs are gym junkies so I was very excited to find out, they did not leave without packing their workout gear as well. They don't like running. In fact, they hate it, BUT they do it anyway because they know how beneficial it is. These girls are what you would call gym rats. You can find them lifting with the guys or going hard on the squat rack. We make a good team if you ask me. Together we have the best of both worlds and it's always fun when we can come together and enjoy a good workout. It just so happened that we put in work at the beach this time around. It was a great time and much needed vacation. I can't wait to have them along with me on some of the upcoming runs and I guess I'll be signing up for some of their events as well. Lucky for me... i already enjoy working out with the guys, so it will be an easy transition with them in the weight room.

Now... who wants to spot me?! LOL

Need.Bubble Bath.STAT

Team Phoenix

where to begin? This weekend has been nothing short of exhausting! I mean that in a good way. Well, maybe not so much right now, but tomorrow definitely. Tomorrow I will feel great about all of this! *crossing fingers* So as I mentioned before, this weekend I had both the DC Dragon Boat Race and the Warrior Dash. The Dragon Boat race was an all day event. We had 3 races to compete in at 250 meters. The first one we did TERRIBLE! i mean even I noticed how terrible we did. We were totally NOT in sync with each other, The 2nd race was MUCH better. Overall we got the silver medal for the day. Sunday(today) was the final race at 500 meters. I'm so upset I missed it, but I did get the update on the results and Team Phoenix placed GOLD! So exciting! I should be receiving my medals this week from another teammate. I'm so thankful to have been invited to join them. Even if just for a day. There will be another competition at the end of August at the National Harbor. They've already asked if I wanna compete with them... uh DUH! Of course I want to compete! It's only just one of the most fun sports I've done in a very long time. Even with the weather being as dark and gloomy as it was. Not even having to wear wet clothes all day bothered us. Everyone on the team was super friendly and easy to get along with. I can't wait to compete with them again soon! 

Mario and Luigi!

Fast forward a bit and we get to the famous Warrior Dash. Someone told me the Hero Rush was more intense and harder than the Warrior Dash. I beg to differ! Sure it's less miles, but I definitely like this one was more difficult. I also heard this year's Warrior Dash was harder than last year. I've been wanting to do this race for a couple years now. All just to have the viking hat. The hat alone is what sold me on the race once upon a time. Well, I can finally check it off the list! I realized today that I've improved a lot with hills. There were so many hills at the beginning. I'm not saying i ran through every single one in the race. I'm just saying I've improved! Let's not get crazy now! haha Another thing I learned is that I have terrible balance and a small fear of heights. This did not help me at all today. Nope. It definitely slowed me down and if it hadn't been for le BF, I would probably have some kind of broken bone or at least have a sprained ankle. I love that we did it together, though. It was a lot of fun. Very muddy, but about half way through we had some beautiful sunshine! I'm hoping they got some good action shots of us. We only took before and after pics. I wish we had taken some pics while we were covered in mud, but we pretty much just ran straight to the showers to clean off and head back to the little party going on. Our next race together is the Run For Your Lives Zombie Obstacle Race in October. I have a serious fear of chainsaws... should be interesting. I am proud of myself today, though. I wasn't sure how I would do with all the climbing, but I did alright! Now, i'm just ready for a nice bubble bath and a lot of sleep! Good weekend overall though :)

Fitspiration

While at rowing practice tonight, two wonderful things happened making this evening very productive and even more motivating. Since I was asked to be a part of this team somewhat last minute, I only have about a week to learn the basics of rowing/paddling before the race this weekend. The club was nice enough to accommodate a couple of us to join another team's practice session this afternoon. The 4 newbs(myself included) were asked to sit at the back of the boat so the trainer could help us. Unfortunately, our trainer was very soft spoken and if you've ever been on a Dragon Boat or any other boat at that, you know a loud voice is necessary for instructional purposes. I remembered from my last practice that I need to keep my body forward and head up always looking to the front of the boat to make sure I stay in sync with the stroke pair. So that's what i did. I kept up with them the whole practice or at least attempted to, but I remember hearing on 3 different occasions "look at Denise..." or "do you see what Denise is doing?" Naturally, I assumed I must have had terrible form and the reason I was being pointed out was for more of a what not to do demonstration. I will say it was a great workout and I'd really love to join the club and take this up as a hobby IF my crazy race schedules allows time for it! Well, we finally make it back to the dock and on our way out for the night, when the trainer approached me

Trainer: Denise this isn't your first time, right? You've done this before.
Me: Right. It's my second practice. I was here on Saturday for my first one ever. 
Trainer: Yea, but that was only like 30 min on the water. So this is your first time ever doing this? a race.
Me: yea...  <insert sheepish smile>
Trainer: Well you have excellent form! You really did a great job. Looks like you really figured this thing out. You should join our team."

What do you even say to that? Seriously, though! I probably turned bright red. I mean hey who doesn't love a compliment? Me apparently. I'm terrible at taking compliments. I never know what to say. I hope i said thanks, but honestly it's very possible i just stood there looking at her like a deer in headlights. I'm not sure how I would join her team though... i'm already on a team for the race! Silly, lady! haha she was very nice, though. I did love knowing i wasn't completely useless on the boat. Maybe I will actually help my team this weekend instead of being dead weight!

Well, the second thing I wanted to share was something one of the coaches screamed out to our boat when everyone was tired and exhausted. When everyone was just ready to relax and coast back to dock. You know, that's when coaches really wanna work you the hardest! Well, he took a good look at us and screamed out "if you can't use it, lose it! If you can't lose it, use it! It's just muscle, guys! Let's go!" and you know what? I loved it! It's so very true for just about anything you're doing. if you're not going to use it, why keep it? If you can't get rid of it, then you might as well use it. It's not like you're dead, right? I'm not gonna lie, it totally motivated me to keep going! 

"If you can't use it, lose it! If you can't lose it, use it!"

Sometimes It's That Little Extra!

Instagram: Sunshine_Memoirs

It's totally OK  guys. I ran today! So I'm back at this dominating inclines thing. I figure, once you master inclines everything else is just a walk in the park. Tonight's run started on what felt like the worlds longest incline. Got me pretty winded for the rest of the run, but hey... can't breeze through every run. That's just boring! Gotta add some challenges every now and then. That little pic on the left is a little something I made for Instagram today. That song came on my iPod at about the last stretch home and for some reason that one part of the song really just got me pushing more than before and got me home.
Now, I'm very familiar with the saying "your mind gives up way before your body does." It's pretty much the only reason I've kept improving over this past year with my running. I heard it again this past weekend at practice for the Dragon Race. Coach told us to focus on our strokes and breathing. Gave us tips on what to do if we're feeling gassed or too tired to keep going. At the end of his spiel he left us with that very quote. I thought to myself, there it is again. Something I hear all the time and sure it gotten me through the hardest of times when i just started my running journey, but you know how when you hear the same thing over and over it tends to lose its value? Yea that's kinda what happened with me and that quote. I know it first hand to be true, but i guess I had forgotten it's power and significance. There were parts of tonight's run where I just wanted to stop and walk because I was tired. Tired? seriously, who gets tired? I don't know what's wrong with me! haha OK so I got a bit winded sooner than I would have liked. I tried so very hard to stick to my little training for the evening and when I felt like I had reached my limit, I remembered that quote: Your mind gives up way before your body does. So you know what I did... i decided to test it out once more. I figured what's the worst that could happen? I mean it's not like I'm not going to die. What's another quarter-mile if my body can still go, right? RIGHT! I totally surprised myself a few times tonight with how much further I really could go, despite how exhausted I already was. Definitely a successful run tonight. I thoroughly enjoyed it and the weather is getting very warm. Might need to get some shorts soon because ain't nobody got time for pants!! 



So, I know I've mentioned an obstacle race I'm doing with le boyfriend soon. The Warrior Dash. WELL, it's coming up a lot sooner than later. Actually, it's finally here. We'll be heading out on our mini road trip Sunday morning for a midday wave run. We have decided to go as Mario and Luigi. I'm a little upset about the arrangements as I've been Luigi since I was born. This time around, I'm stuck being Mario. I guess it makes sense because he's so tall. He said something about he had to be Luigi because green brings out his eyes (BARF!) hahaha OK so maybe he's right, but only just a little. ANYWAY... we ordered our shirts and I can't wait for them to arrive. I'm trying to decide if suspenders would be too much during the run. Thoughts anyone? I'd love to add more to our outfits, but at the same time i prefer to run with as little added weight as possible. Here's a little preview of whats to come in this weekends post accompanying the Dragon Boat Race. SO EXCITED!!  :)