Tag: MLchanges

Small adjustments

I have to say cutting back to running only 3x a week after running 4x a week for marathon training (and most training plans) has been delightful. I don’t feel so much pressure to screw my schedule around to find time to run on a day of decent temperatures (or milage I won’t hate on a treadmill). I actually am finding myself looking FORWARD to running after 2 or 3 days off. 

Now don’t get me wrong, I have 1-2 full blown rest days a week, but I’ve really been hitting fitness classes hard at my gym the past 5 weeks since I rejoined. I am trying to get to classes 2-3x a week and some days it’s for back to back classes. Like last night was 60 min of Body Pump and then 30min of CRX which is an ab workout. 

And yoga. My job offers excellent free yoga 2x a week during lunch and since it started 2 years ago I’ve made an effort to go at least 1x week, but now I’m committed to going 2x a week unless I literally can’t make it. These days are like “bonus workouts” because it’s during the workday and I don’t need to shower (I just bring a change of clothes). Work also started offered a Pilates/Barre fusion class. This class is on Tuesdays which is harder on my schedule, but I can make it next week and I’m excited to try it out. 

2015 Reflection Survey

A friend of mine posted this last week on her blog (and she’s been religious about doing it annually for yeeeeears). So I thought I’d take a stab: 

1. What did you do in 2015 that you’d never done before? Used my passport! 

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Losing weight and new race distances/events didn’t happen, but I was active and had ups and downs with my nutrition. However I am in a MUCH MUCH better place financially – every year over the past few I’ve continued to get a better handle on my finances. 

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Babies were born, some I care more about than others, but no babies were born to anyone that would change my relationship with them. 

4. Did anyone close to you die? No thankfully.

5. What places did you visit? North to South & East to West: York Beach ME, Nashua NH, Boston, Charlemont MA, Hamden CT, NYC, Coney Island, Long Island, Fenwick Island DE, Dewey Beach DE, Pittsburgh, Frederick MD, Baltimore, Annapolis, Harpers Ferry WV, Leesburg VA, Harrisonburg VA, Charlottesville VA, Roanoke VA, Blacksburg VA, Raleigh, Charlotte, Ireland, Kansas City, Los Angeles(x2).

6. What would you like to have in 2016 that you lacked in 2015? A new more fulfilling and challenging job.

7. What days from 2015 will you always remember? First time T told me he loved me, Dublin Marathon, Bestie’s Wedding.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Successfully training for the Dublin Marathon. The race is only 26.2 miles, but I’m most proud of the hundreds of miles I put in training. 

9. What was your biggest failure? Hibernating most of the winter and early spring. More of a regret than a failure. 

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Heel spur and plantar fasciitis on my right foot. 

11. What was the best thing you bought? New running shoes and my first television (they happened in the same week)

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? T – he took on the challenge to train for a 12K very seriously and rocked it! 

13. Where did most of your money go? Paying down my car (it will be all mine in March), Rent/Bills, Traveling

14. What did you get really excited about? 1 year Anniversary with T, Trip to Ireland, Bestie’s Wedding, Dewey Trip Round 3

15. What song will always remind you of 2015? Uptown Funk and the Taylor Swift Starbucks lover song ha! 

16. Compared to this time last year, are you:

  • a) happier or sadder? Happier! 
  • b) thinner or fatter? literally the same level of fatness 
  • c) richer or poorer? Richer!

17. What do you wish you’d done more of? Attended Church – I was doing so well for a while, but January is always a good time to get back to it! 

18. What do you wish you’d done less of? Screwing around on my phone in bed (both before going to sleep and before getting out of bed). 

19. How did you spend Christmas? On Long Island at my mom’s house. 

20. What was your favorite TV program? The Soup, Nashville, Making a Murderer, Younger, The Office 

21. What was the best book you read? Sadly I didn’t do a lot of reading this year – I have a stack of books, but haven’t read them.  

22. What music did you get excited about? New David Cook record!

23. What did you want and get? A new and upgraded Fitbit

24. What did you want and not get? A new job

25. What was your favorite film of this year? In theaters – American Sniper

26. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? 32 –  boozy brunch and Escape Room Live

27. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2015? Boldly patterned shorts and lots of running clothes! 

28. What kept you sane? T, my besties, running, writing/blogging

29. Who was the best new person you met? My grad student –  I needed the help at work and he’s been great! Honorable mention goes to my fellow runner/blogger/colleague Anne.

30. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2014. Find your north and trust it completely. I need to be me 100% – love me or hate me. 

Kudos to you if you took the time to read all this – thank you! 

Seasons of My Life: December

I’ve always been a very reflective person. I’ve journaled since 1997, blogged on and off since 2006, and I’ve been an active social media user (which makes time-hop all the more fun). 

Not to get all religious on people but I’ve always been a fan of the quote “To everything there is a season, a time to every purpose under heaven.” 

Here’s a glimpse at my recollection of where I was in December of each year. 

2014-2015: Mature girlfriend. Lots of fresh balsam candles, pajamas, and holiday movies while snuggling with Freddie and T. Making it a point to spend quality time with friends throughout the month.

2012-2013: Making up for lost time drunken fest. I finally had the opportunity for all the shenanigans I always wanted to experience like dressing up like a Christmas tree for sloppy santa bar crawls. Being around great, fun, friends – eating, drinking, being merry 24/7.

2010-2011: Running and dating. Was still navigating the beginnings of my first real relationship and about year later the end of it which led to lots of dating and running. In 2010 I started my love affair with running and by December 2011 I was training for my first marathon. I was really finding myself and loving myself. 

2008-2009: Lonely Decembers. I remember watching so much TV, shopping aimlessly, and crafting. I wasn’t happy for a lot of reasons and sort of hibernated. I was always so excited to roadtrip up the east coast for the holidays with visits along the way, most notably in Charlotte and Baltimore to see friends. 

2007: 1st without Daddy. My dad died the Sunday before Thanksgiving so really the whole holiday season was a blur. I do recall wearing reindeer antler headbands at the bar with friends and pointing to them whenever an awkward guy would hit on us since I had recently taught them awkward antler.  

2001-2006: Finals stress. Oh college and grad school. I don’t miss finals week at all. It was always a mix of studying, banging out papers, and creative procrastination. Along with lots and lots of boy band christmas cds. 

1998-2000: Empty, no decorations. These were the early years after my parents got divorced and holidays turned to absolute shit. Most of this time I’ve mentally blocked, but I recall one year having a “Christmas chair” in lieu of a tree because my mom refused to put anything up. 

1997: AOL isolation.  I’m pretty sure I started journaling because I knew life as I knew it was changing. Puberty, the rise of AOL, my parents’ loveless marriage on it’s last legs. AOL was a place to find community (A/S/L anyone), but also a place to escape and hide. Writing was my safe place and Hanson’s Snowed In became my favorite Christmas CD (both are still true). 

A life in reverse only makes sense when it’s lived in order. Each season has it’s purpose and will come and go. I’m curious to see what the future holds. 

I need a change

New job is top of the list, I’m turning up my search game. 

Renewed commitment to friends that I haven’t seen or talked to much lately (marathon training owning most of my fall is partly to blame and being in snuggle mode with T is also a culprit). 

New clothes – or new to me clothes, hello Good Will – I’m beyond bored with everything I own. 

I’m debating rejoining a Golds Gym. I need more non-running fitness in my life.

Move update

Friday afternoon was the actually move, it went fairly smooth overall

Saturday was a shit ton of old apartment cleaning – it was literally an all day affair, came to the new place to shower and collapse in bed

Today was supposed to be my long run, but I was too exhausted and wanted to settle in/run errands

Tomorrow I was supposed to work until 2:30 then go to the old place for a final walk through, instead I’m calling out. I need to get my 15 mile training run in and I need to do a few last things at my old place before I hand over the keys

More apt fun

T thinks he found an apt too and it’s a mile from my current apt, so that means I don’t have to completely say goodbye to Old Town Alexandria/Mt Vernon Trail/Wilson Bridge/Metro accessibility etc!!

Note: yes it’s crazy that we both are individually moving basically a week apart, but we also discussed at length wanting to be engaged before living with someone. Although he’ll be living alone so I have a feeling I’ll be there most weekends!

I’m not going to be homeless

The apartment struggle can be real yo. 

Especially when you have a dog, don’t want a long term lease, and currently have the deal of the century in terms of price (and location) and would prefer to keep it that way. 

After 30+ Craigslist inquires (and only about 10 responses), stalking sublet.com, rent.com etc. I looked at 4 places last week/over the weekend. Of course none of them were perfect, but in an effort to have peace of mind and not gamble a great option for a “perfect” option. I put a deposit down. 

So as of 8/28 it will be goodbye Alexandria, hello Baileys Crossroads/Falls Church. 

I will be SUPER close to the W&OD trail which I’m most excited about. I’m also very close to REI, Trader Joes, Dunkin Donuts, TJMaxx/Marshalls/Home Goods. So really that’s all that matters in life. 

It’s a townhouse with housemates, but my room is HUGE (enough for a bedroom and a sitting room). Gorgeous private bath, 2 closets (1 is a walk in), and hardwood floors. And the best part is that it’s a month to month lease – which gives me peace of mind for WHEN a California job works out and/or IF I get engaged in the next few months…

My Birthdays:  A Tumblr Review

I took a brief journey through my tumblr archives in addition to chronicling the memories that each age/year brought.  Thank you for being with me tumblr through these life changing years. Looking forward to what’s to come… 

27 (2010): My first birthday with all of you! I was 8 months into this health and fitness journey. I was training for my first half marathon and gaining self esteem in leaps and bounds. 

28 (2011): I was falling out of love with my first guy I loved. I was aggressively job searching, bored with my job, looking for a change and ready to get out of Alabama. I clung to running and bought myself my first Garmin as a birthday present to myself. 

29 (2012): First DC birthday – although I was up in NY and in Boston for my bestie’s 30th birthday. I had ran my first marathon back in March and was training for my second (Marine Corps) in October. I was still finding my way in my new job and new life, but I was loving it. 

30 (2013): Had a rough few months leading up to 30. Mostly due to work drama, but also the stress of a milestone birthday. I kept comparing my life to others and thinking about if I was behind schedule. 

31 (2014): Achieved my goal of doing a sprint triathlon before my 31st birthday (did it a week prior). Ended up doing a 2nd sprint tri later in August taboot. Finally got a grip on my finances. Was newly dating this sweet shy guy. 

32 (2015): I am training for my 3rd marathon. Crazy in love with T. Job searching for a bigger and better career opportunity in Southern California. Strengthening friendships with my amazing friends and never taking the time we have together for granted. 

Help me not be homeless :P

Hey DC/NoVA area friends.

I just thought I would try crowdsourcing before good ol’ craiglist (I’ve had good luck 2/2 and rather not push it) that I am looking for an apt/share. Here’s what I’m looking for: 

-move in 8/15-9/1.
-month to month or short term (~3 month lease/sublet)
-dog friendly (freddie is less than 10lbs)
-spend no more than $1000/month total
-commutable to Fairfax (preference to greater Arlington/Alexandria area)

Let me know if you know of any places or friends’s places!
Thanks