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 :)

Run or Dye

It's been a very eventful the last several days. With guests and Halloween adventures! I was happy to have a few days off work for most of it. Thursday morning i was able to get a run in during DAYLIGHT hours! oh man... it was glorious! see pic on the left for proof. There really is nothing quite like it. Even more rewarding that I was among the vibrant trees. Color was literally pouring out of the leaves. I had a coworker from our Ukrainian office come over and stay for a few days. So we did the whole DC thing. Got to play tour guide and show her the beautiful sights our Nation's Capital has to offer. All that jazz. So even though I only got one daytime run in, I was able to walk around DC all day Thursday through Saturday. I mean the point is to keep moving, right? I also learned this past weekend that i have a serious obsession with tress in the fall! haha

RUN OR DYE

The BFFs and I at Run or Dye in DC

I mentioned in my last post about the Run or Dye 5k race that was coming up with the BFFs. Well we did it and it was A LOT of fun. We had to run through a few tunnels with people throwing powder dye at us. Sounds fun, right? too bad it was hard to breathe and see while running through these mists of color and the occasional person throwing a whole handful into your face. Zoila, was not so lucky running through the yellow tunnel. No. It seemed they had it out for her. The left half of her face was covered in yellow by the time she made it all the way through. I'm not gonna lie, i had to stop for a bit because i was laughing so much. The occasional child would scream out "YELLOW FACE!" and one spectator coming in while we were leaving made a passing comment of "wow! some people really got hit hard!" hahahaha i'm probably laughing a little too much about it for her liking. Sorry Z, but it was effin hilarious! So all in all it was a good run. It was great to do it as a team. To start together and even finish holding hands through the finish line. AWW we're so cute aren't we! haha This weekend is the Reston Nearly Naked Mile race to run. I'm thinking a tutu, some body paint and a fuzz bra... that should do it! What can i say? i love running :)

What Next?

Instagram : @Sunshine_Memoirs

 So What Are You Training for Now?

I was at a family birthday dinner about a week and some change ago. One of my cousins heard that i had recently completed my first half marathon. So of course he had a million questions for me. I was actually pretty surprised at the interest, but was more excited that anyone even cared to hear about it and my training. So I'm telling him all about it and showing him pictures when he hits me with "so what are you training for now?" It seriously caught me off guard. What am i training for? I mean i just finished a half marathon... wasn't that exciting enough? Apparently not. My family is not easy to please... but it did get me thinking. All this training for the last several weeks/months for the half and now it's done. So what's next? Well, I hadn't really thought about any immediate challenges for post half. Actually, I just wanted to get back into the other activities I enjoy doing like weight training with the BFF more regularly, supporting the other BFFs in their fitness hobbies, boxing, soccer, hiking, etc. Of course I have other halves i want to do and next year a full marathon, but until then I think I'm just going to enjoy this wonderful little life of mine. 

I actually have a cute little 5k coming up this weekend. You like how i said cute and little? haha i remember when that seemed nearly impossible. OK sorry, i digress. So this 5k, it's in DC. Perhaps you've heard of it? Quite popular! Well, 2 of the BFFs will be joining in on this run. Not everyday I get the BFFs together for a run together. It's pretty amazing when your BFFs love being as active as you are if not more. It really makes life so much easier and happier(high on endorphins). You know what else is great? Being with someone who supports and encourages all your hopes and dreams, but not only that... is willing to lace up and do it with you. I gotta say... I'm walking on sunshine these days :)

So now that the leaves are falling and the days are getting cooler, it's time to find ways to keep moving OUTSIDE and stay warm. I decided to get the team together for our first Winter Season(we usually only play fall and spring seasons). The Winter season doesn't start until January, though. In the meantime, I got asked to join a team for the remainder of the Fall season since they're short on girls. It's actually turning out to be a win-win situation. I haven't played since May, so this will be good practice to get me ready for the upcoming season. I'm pretty excited about my off season and all the promising activities it holds, but no worries! I'm not giving up my distance running. It is an addiction and I'm no quitter lol 

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

How's that for motivation!

do more, live more, run more

Saturday morning was my first 10k. Plugged in the wrong address for destination and long story short - ended up running with the 5k-ers! I was so upset. I was really looking forward to seeing where I was for a 10k. I guess another time. A friend of mine was signed up for the 5k so I started with her and eventually moved up hoping to run into the 10k crowd. They were nowhere in site, though. Came up to a water station and thought to myself how I should take a cup of water and try to drink it as I run. I had seen this done in videos and I had heard of it being quite difficult, but I had to see for myself. Well, let's just say 5% of the water in the cup actually made it into my mouth. The rest made it onto my face and shirt! I eventually made the halfway loop on the 5k to turn back and ran into my friend from the starting line. I decided i would loop around and run with her to get some more miles in. It actually ended up being a lot of fun and continued throughout the race. I would make loops back and around to her until she completed the 5k. Figured maybe I wont get to do the 10k, but i can at least make my own 8k while i'm here! I had gotten to the last water station and turned around to find my friend. Ran back again and realized that station was about a quarter mile from the finish line. So i decided to do another loop. I had gotten so close to the water station, I could hear everyone cheering and letting us know how close we were. I smiled awkwardly as i knew they were not going to expect me to loop back around again. As i turned quietly to run back, I heard a woman ask what I was doing and a man behind me yell "Jesus Christ! How's that for motivation!" haha i'm not going to lie. It totally made me laugh. Caught up to my friend, told her the story and kept encouraging her to start running again so we could finish and that's exactly what we did! We finished!
Maybe I didn't get my 10k, but I think i made the most out of this 5k and had a wonderful time. The weather was beautiful, warm and sunny. The people were positive and friendly. Best part? There was food everywhere for the runners. We got ourselves re-hydrated and situated then headed back home where I spent the afternoon at the batting cages! A wonderful weekend indeed  :)

Breath of Fresh Air

"It's the only sport in the world where if a competitor falls, the others around will pick him or her up. It's the only sport in the world open to absolutely everyone, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity or any other division you can think of. It's the only occasion when thousands of people assemble, often in a major city, for a reason that is totally peaceful, healthy and well-meaning. It's the only sport in the world where no one ever boos anybody." -Runners World

It's so true when they say running is cheaper than therapy. I don't know where I'd be had i never decided to take those first few steps outside my door, but what I love most about running is basking and breathing in nature's beauty. There is no other sport that can bring me to such a state of tranquility. To be surrounded by beautiful trees, flowers and sunshine... it's really quite soothing. It's the only way I can really clear my head.
With recent events, I've lost most of the remaining little bit of faith I had in humanity(Boston Marathon attacks) and as I ran to my playlist this evening, I noticed most of my community outside doing some kind of activity. Spouses going for an evening walk together, mothers out with their daughters, kids shooting hoops and fathers playing catch or basketball with their children. Some were working in their garden while others were out riding bikes. There were definitely quite a few runners as well as individual walkers. Such an active community and what better way to keep the messages positive and the spirits lively! Active lifestyles lead to positive thoughts. Happy people don't just go around killing other people! If we could just take the initiative, get outside our box and visit or care for our neighbors, this world would be a much better place! 

Today's Fitness Goal: better my endurance on inclines to prepare for Saturday's race!