hi, hello there.

the other day as i was browsing around facebook i saw my dear friend megan's post about claiming the award for the worst blogger ever. knowing megan and all about her adventures in the last few months (seriously this girl is doin big things!) it occured to me that i have also fallen off the bandwagon. originally moving i had said i would keep up with things and continue writing, wellllll that definitely didnt happen and its about time i fixed that!

so lets start with the job and the move. its going great!!! i have made it through 2 retreats, 1 with an 8 member exec board including a sleepover and a trip to the beach, and 1 with 65 members over 2 days learning the ins and outs of guiding campus tours! 

family picture at the beach!

things are going to get crazy busy as i am starting my official travel this week and so does our fall event series. i have really fantastic coworkers that have just enveloped me in their circle no problem:) they are some of the nicest, most welcoming people i have ever met! i have also settled in from the move to my little town. i have a routine now through the week that seems to fit it all in, i think. many have asked how it is moving from such a big city of vegas to the college town of statesboro? truth is, its very similar to flagstaff, the town i went to college in. the bigger adjustment than town size has actually been the adjusting to the south. the humidity down here is unreal, but my hair loves it:) and it rains all the time. which i personally love! the food is for sure different, and i can say that i have officially tried hashbrown casserole haha. ive been here just about 2 months now and things are really good:) i still have my bouts of homesickness that comes in waves, thank goodness for technology that they are all only a phone call or text away!

yes that is candied bacon on top of ice cream.

but we get to tailgate!

and bonfire smores are a normal thing:)

training. many have asked if i am still planning on doing the full marathon next month, so let me clear that up. HELL YES!!!! (seriously have we met people) i have been training like a mad woman and have made it through 10 weeks of training and have logged about 290 miles since the 2nd week in july. boom. 

not too say this hasnt been an incredibly tough process. adjusting to a new climate alone has definitely been rough. i swear i have never, ever sweat so much in my whole life as i have down here haha! sure i would have probably liked to take some time to adjust to my new life before jumping into a training plan, but that isnt how life works, you just gotta go with it. i think its actually been a blessing in disguise. with all of the changes, moving literally from one coast to the other, going from a steady 12% humidity to 75% on a regular basis, to having to find completely new running routes and finding a new gym, running has been the one constant thing in my life that hasnt changed. it may be a new plan but the comfort of sticking to a training plan and knowing that i can do it no matter where i live is incredibly helpful. not to say that i havent fallen apart a few times like after a really tough 1/2 marathon 2 weeks ago in which i fought for every mile after 5 and then had more rough, rough training runs throughout the week. and in those instances i say, thank goodness for an amazing friend and family support team. i am so grateful to be able to reach out to a few new marathoners that i saw struggle through the process a bit and have given me so much great advice in my own struggle. i cant tell you how incredible it has been to have them! 

this happens.

and so does a good recovery:)

so in the theory of changes...there are a few coming for this little blog of mine. its about time actually! it started as something small and has grown a big part of my life but hasnt done much evolving. i think its about time to change that:)

the numbers game.

recently i have been thinking about numbers and what they really mean.

for example:
*i have run 388 miles in 2012 so far!
*i only have 3 classes left to complete for my masters degree, whoa.
*it was 97* on my way to work today at 830a. welcome to the desert.
*i have completed 7 half marathons in the 3 years with another 2 on the way.

numbers often lead me to countdowns oddly enough:
*there are 96 days to my dream race, the nike womens 1/2 marathon!
*i will finish school in 186 days, omg.
*only 4 more days until payday!
*in 25 days i might see a ufo at the et midnight race hehe.

now that is a lot of numbers and just a sample of all the ones i have running through my brain at any given moment. (dont even get me started on my work numbers, phew.) the last few weeks have been pretty hectic and completely overwhelming in my job, my family life, school, my relationship, my body, my friendships, and my training. there have been a lot of changes recently in all of the above, some i have responded well to and some i havent. it seems as if the age old philopshy is true...



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while change and numbers seem to be happening at an alarming rate these days, there is one thing i need to remember...


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 i know this sounds simple but it can actually be quite difficult when you really try. if i keep going at full speed ahead and only worry about getting to the countdown days i am going to miss the fun things in between. like the 2 super fun bbqs i have gotten to go to the last 2 weekends with great friends. they werent big productions or things i counted down to, but low key where i actually got to take a step back and have really fun nights. or the phone call i got from my brother from another mother (my brothers bff from preschool) that said he was in town and  i needed to meet them for dinner on friday night so i could have a milkshake, when the plan wasnt to meet up until sunday. and the student from chicago who only gave a few word answers on the phone, but enveloped me in a huge hug with mom and dad the moment i met them face-to-face on campus for the 1st time. plus the sunday i finally got to sleep in as long as i wanted without an alarm (glorious).

they will come, the countdowns will all eventually fall to zero, but what did i miss along the way just to check off one more day? these are just a few things i need to remember to treasure on the way to those big planned days.


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the ode to running.

happy national running day! i got my miles in this morning and it was one of the best runs i have had in quite awhile. my legs just kept going and going, you have to love those mornings. it made me, like many others think about my running and what it has done for me in the last 3 years. now i know you have all read the runniversary stories (year 2 and 3) but this is a little different...

i run to...

*have days that start out like today

amazing run!

*enjoy a cupcake from time to time

its all about balance my friends :)

*share the joy of running

ive been lucky enough to be there for some new runners and their 1st steps all the way to their 1st race! if that doesnt renew your faith in running i dont know what will :)

*stay healthy

i know it sounds silly and like a no-brainer. but it has really kept me on track.

*get some bling

i mean really, the clothes and the bling is half the reason i run!

seriously, you thought i was joking ;)

*reconnect with old friends via social media

sometimes you lose touch you went to college or high school with. for some reason no matter how long its been since you last talked, running can be the best ice breaker!

*go from this...

summer 2006.

to this...

today.

*meet new people that push me to the next level

if i hadnt joined my runner group i would have never done a triathlon or gotten dangerously close to my new sub-2 hour goal!

*find myself

before this i dont think i realized how lost i really was. running has helped me figure out who i really am!

so heres to a great new year of running! may you all find the motivation you need to keep placing one foot in front of the other to reach that next mile :)

the learning curve.

wednesday this week marked a big day for me. i am officially half way through my triathlon training!!! now i realize this is mostly a big deal for me, but i thought i would share some of the things i have learned along the way...

*training for 3 sports is hard

holy crap. i knew this would be no cake walk, but wow. and not just the physical aspect but the time and energy as well.

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*people look at you different when
you tell them your training for a tri

im used to goofy looks about the things i sign up for. the eye-rolling, the wow your crazy sighs as i talk about my training plan for this race. but these looks are different, these are impressed.

*swim caps do not keep your hair dry

not really sure why i thought they would, but definitely not.

*you will be come a master
at time-management

trying to fit in 3 sports into 1 persons schedule means lots of plans.

*40* riding is wayyyy different
than 40* running

im like a popsicle every friday when i come home.

*i have never been so hungry
in my whole life

this hunger is totally different compared to 1/2 marathon hunger, especially after a 2-a-day.

*swimming is hard

now i realize this is nothing new for some. and i by no means thought it would be easy, but dang its like really hard.

*people will give you advice no
matter if you ask for it or not

now sometimes this can be helpful, but when its the same thing over and over, not so much

*no amount of spin will ever
prepare you for a real bike.

enough said!

*running will always be my true love

if this training teaches me nothing else, it will restore any doubts i had about running, ever

*swimming might be the best
ab workout i have ever had

there are muscles in there i have never worked out!

*people will be mean

they will tell you it cant be that hard. or i always thought i would do that one day (as they sit on the couch and havent worked out in years). or tell you your crazy for this. 

*support from your family and friends
might be the only thing that keeps you going

a strong team around you is soooo important. there will be days you come home and so exhausted and had the worst training session ever. there encouragement might be the reminder you need to get out the door the next day.

 *this may be the hardest thing
i have done in my whole life

enough said.

the grad school update

back in june i began my masters program (if you havent heard, check it out!) and i can't believe it's been that long already! i decided it might be time to clue you all in on how it's going:)

i am now in the 1st week of my 4th class, crazy i know. i think i may have finally figured out a schedule haha. i started with one, then threw it out, then started another and continued till i finally found one that worked. the problem wasn't school, it was fitting the 2 other important thing of training and work into the equation.

sunday:  

off

long run
blog/homework if absolutely necessary


monday:
work 830a-530p 
blog/clean up from the weekend/do things at home
 sin city roadrunner group @6p 4-5 miles

tuesday:  
work 11a-8p
read/research if needed for class
rest (training)

wednesday: 
work 9a-6p
homework
6am spin class

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thursday: 
work 9a-6p
homework
6am body pump class

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friday: 
work 830a-5p 
clean/homework if needed

run 4 miles

saturday:  

off 

(i do work once a month and some 

saturdays we do have open house too)

rest

as you can see this doesn't leave a lot of outside time for well a life haha. or rest from everything/life lol. i am also extremely lucky to be doing this before i am married and/or children come into my life. i have noooo idea how moms handle all this, mad respect, seriously. also remember that richard works nights. so i try to get everything done during the week so the days we do get together i don't have to worry about fitting in homework. he is also extremely supportive and makes sure that im getting everything done on time, it's very sweet.

i have now completed the intro class, leadership in education which I actually really liked, and the god awful law and policy in higher education. as soon as i saw the last one on the curriculum i knew it was going to suck to be honest. that coupled with the horrible professor i had made the class a terrible experience all the way around. i for sure celebrated when that class was over, after fighting tooth and nail to get my last 8 points to keep my A and 4.0 gpa.

after this class i will be just about halfway! it's super fast. each class is only 8 weeks total, it runs 7 1/2 weeks then you have the last half of the week off before starting again. which for the last 2 classes and this one as well, have had the final due the day after my big races. it makes for a crazy race week to say the least. i am set however to finish january 2013:)

then its time for one of these!
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many people have asked what that means i will do when im done? i want to work at the staff side of a state university somewhere. i have absolutely no desire to teach, i also have mad respect for those that do, seriously. it's just not my gig. i would love to get into student affairs/orientation/tours and events/residence life something along those lines. im not exactly sure where or in exactly what department, but do know that is the path i want to go down. i can't wait to see where this all takes me!

the 1 year mark.

with all the crazy things that happened in october, my grad school class, and life in general i completely passed by something important. richard and i have now lived in our apartment for 1 whole year together! for a girl who never thought she would live with a boy, this is pretty big. this post is incredibly late and i apologize. so to make up for it, i have put together a list of things that i have realized changed big time or will never change and important live together moments:)

*new traditions are just as fun to create as holding on to old ones.

the christmas story

 the summer traditions

* we will always, always shop at 2 grocery stores.

you think im kidding...

*traveling somewhere when you live together is so much more fun and conveint when you live together.

we got to go lots of places this year!

thanksgiving 2010

the country adventure

the havasupai hiking adventure part 1 

the havasupai hiking adventure part 2 

*we will never eat completely the same, but we are getting better.

for example this past weekend the only addition i made to the meal was fruit!

different meals

 

*somethings should be kept a secret by experienced couples until you experience them, you would never believe them if they told you.

the background 

the little things no one tells you

the real settling in

*you relationship is always a work in progress. if its important enough, you will always find a way to make it work.

the start of something new 

the balancing act. 

the 2 year anniversary 

 *having different interests is good, but dont forget to compromise sometimes.

the living with a runner thing

*always be there to support each other, even if the other person is wrong in the moment, or you are the only one there, always be on their side.

the birthday extravaganza 

the next step

the deployment 

this has been an amazing first year with so many new adventures and things we have both done. i can only imagine whats in store for this next year! thank you to all those that have been reading about it all here. sharing all of this with other people for the last year has been so fun and i cant wait to keep writing all about everything for this next year. and thank you to my love for being ok with me sharing so many things with the world and for always reading my post the day it comes out! i love you:)

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the race season craziness.

i start making my race calendar in the beginning of the year. i like to have a plan, i like to know where im going and when race day is. i knew last year that nashville was an absolute must for me. next i had to start looking at the rest of the year.

my ultimate dream race is the nike womens half marathon in san francisco on october16th. 20,000 women running through the streets of san francisco? sign me up! however there are quite a few hoops to jump through. first you must stalk the website to see when the sign up will be, there is only a 10 day window. once you do you get to wait. and wait. and wait. finally about 2 months later they pick up a day and start notifying runners through email on an hourly basis. so then you are stalking your email. now there are about 40,000+ women that register for the half and full marathon with only 20,000 runners picked.

while i was (not so) patiently waiting, the las vegas marathon released their big draw for the year, the race was to be run at night on the strip! you would think living in las vegas i would have done the race in the last 2 years. but it just hadnt fit into my race schedule. i wasnt really sure that it was going to this year, but i was not about to miss the race being run this way for the first time! there was only a 7 week turnaround from nike to las vegas and i was a little nervous. i have never done a turnaround that fast. however i was not going to miss either opportunity!

i found out shortly after that i didnt get into nike:( i got the email the next day when they were notifying the non-participants. i had made a back up plan in running the five cities marathon and half in covina, ca on october 9th. i thought about going back to long beach but decided on this one instead. it was an inaugural race and was planned to be a bit smaller than i was used. i decided this was a good thing and was excited about a new challenge.

just when i was already to book the hotel, i got a sucky email stating the five cities marathon and half marathon is officially canceled! apparently someone does not know how to check a race calendar and they scheduled it the same weekend as long beach which has been running for 25+ years and is a massive race. five cities did not have the participation level they needed to sponsor a race. so after being really mad and a frustrated phone call to richard, i decided it was time to head back to long beach! looks like the 3rd pick for the race is a charm!

just when i thought i was done, run disney announced they were debuting a new race. they did a rather lame clue game in which no one guessed the answer too. all i cared about was a new race because seriously, disney does it right. all their events are awesome! finally after a few weeks they released the new race...an all womens race called the tinkerbell half marathon at disneyland on january 29th! well as soon as i found that out i was on the phone with my mom and were trying to say no, but it was just not happening. there is only an 8 week turnaround from vegas to tinkerbell. however there was no way we were missing a new all-womens disney race and it was so close! plus we already had outfits picked out before we even got off the phone. what can i say we are girls:)

so here it is, officially. my insane fall/winter race schedule for everyone to see:

in 6 weeks...

10/9/11-long beach international bank marathon and half marathon.

7 weeks later...

12/4/11-rock and roll las vegas marathon and half.

8 weeks after that....

1/29/11-tinkerbell half marathon.

rest, finally!

yes i know this is crazy! and it is 3 races in 15 weeks. i will also say i have promised my family when i am done with tinkerbell i will not race more than a 5k for at least 4 months. i can still run and train, but no races! there i said it, its out there for everyone to see:) this will be the most intense thing i have ever done. it sounds nutty now that it is officially on here. but it will be an amazing feat when i am finished! i have been bitten by the race bug! cant wait to take you all with me on this running adventure:)

the tug of war.

when you are a kid you end up spending a lot of time with your family.  now there is definitely more time than others depending on things like your age, i mean no parent is cool during some of your teenage years.  my family and i have always been very close and do spend a considerable amount of time together.  they are the ones you come home to at night when you live with them.  the ones you have dinner with when you dont go out with your friends.  the ones you spend holidays with reminiscing over your childhood years.  in my case, i probably spent more time with my family over the years combined than anyone else.

once you start dating someone you instantly want to spend as much time with them as possible.  its new and exciting and this person makes you feel as no one has done before.  you are constantly texting and chatting on the phone about your days or the things that make you happy.  with our opposite schedules during the week we wanted to make the most of any time off that richard and i had together during the weekends.  i know that this wasnt always my familys favorite idea, they definitely let me know in subtle ways.  its definitely a balance thing.

the newest level of balance came in on the second weekend that we lived here.  we had made a sort of double date with some very close friends of ours for saturday night.  i had to work that morning, so they were going to come over later that afternoon.  jackass 3d had just come out and richard was dying to see it.  so while he and mike went and saw that lora and i were very excited about seeing a chick flick instead.  they were set to come over around 4pm, catch a matinee movie after seeing our new apartment and grabbing dinner afterward.  we were set with a great plan.  then, as it often seems to, the latest ufc fight put a natural kink in our plans.  i had no desire to go to the fight, and was actually kind of excited to stay in my own apartment while richard went to a friends to watch.  unfortunately, the planning around that took over everything.  now mike and lora were coming over at 2pm, we had to see the movie early or eat early so they could go to the fight and do the other activity later.  i still wasnt sure why they needed to come over so early, the preliminary fights didnt even start until 7pm. 

as if enough finagling wasnt going on, i was supposed to see my parents at least for a little bit that day.  i had left a few things at home and my dad needed his tools back we were still borrowing, so made a plan to meet somewhere to eat/shop and exchange a few things.   well after i found out the fight was taking over it all went to hell in a hand basket.  our friends were coming over earlier, my mom wanted to hang out more, both were pulling on me so much i was starting to cave under pressure.  richard was upset that i had made plans when mike and lora were coming over and i knew it.  my mom was upset because she thought it was too early i should have made more time to hang out with them. 

all of the above issues would have been solved if i didnt have to work that morning.  i could have fit everybody in, and made everyone happy that way.  so after i finished work i raced over to meet mom and dad at starbucks with their somewhat disapproving looks about our short time together.  oh and probably the fact i made them wait a little.  we laughed and joked and had a good time over coffee, dad telling me all about his trip to seattle for my grandmas birthday and then asking lots questions about how it is to live with a boy.  after that i raced home to hang out with richard and our friends for the evening.  i was again met with disapproving looks because i was so much later then i thought i was going to be. 

we had a really good time at the movies and dinner.  the boys had decided earlier in the evening they didnt want to see the fight because of its location.  lora and i got to see a super good chick flick and the guys were relieved they didnt have to see it and got to see jackass.  by the time we rolled around to getting home i was stuffed from the amazing chicken pot pie i had a claim jumper and the frozen yogurt from yogurtland.  i was perfectly happy falling into bed and watching tv for the night, especially in my own apartment, and everyone else looked about as full/tired as i was.  so when richard suggested they go watch the fight anyway since someone had recorded it, i was pretty surprised.  it seemed to me he was still upset about earlier and didnt want to hang out with me anymore.  lora also needed to go, she had a friend that really needed a shoulder to cry on that evening.

as the boys left i was really sad and felt very alone.  i felt like i had let both parties down that day and at the end they were both disappointed with me.  i realized i wasnt very good at this new balancing act yet.  when richard got home that night he told about the people there for fight and the weirdness that had happened.  best of all, he told me how glad he was to have a normal person to come home too.  without even meaning to, he had calmed all my fears from the day. 

since that weekend i have been trying to get better at balancing.  i am definitely not a pro yet by any means.  i am also trying to make sure i am making myself happy.  both parties are extremely important in my life and i want to keep both around for a very long time.