Friday, November 30, 2012

5-10 year sentence


If 5 years from now, you were in the same place you are today (relationship, job, city, financial, friends, etc.), would you be happy? What about 10 years?

I was thinking about this while running - but more focused on making a different. I know it's so cliche, but I'm obsessed with the idea of making a difference. Maybe one person can't make a difference on the world, but one person can certainly make a different in the lives of many people, one way or another.

If I'm in the same place I am right now in 5 years, I will not have made much of a difference. The only way I've been contributing to make a different is through volunteer activities, but, I would like to be making a difference on a daily basis doing something I'm passionate about. I'm trying to say I'd like to get paid to make a difference, but that sort of negates the making a difference and does not sound so good. I just want to be able to utilize my skills and combine that with a passion for something, so that I can make a difference while "making a living." And right now, I am not doing that.

If I'm in the same place I am right now in 10 years, I would be devastated. This just cannot happen. Even 5 years would be way too long. This is it. It's time to do something.

Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. ~Howard Thurman

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Not fast.

I'm not fast. I've never been fast.

When I used to run every other day (aka running instead of studying during law school), I kept a steady 10 minute pace, never really trying to run any faster. Actually, maybe I just wasn't sure if I could ever run any faster? I just wanted to run and run and run some more.

Now time matters. I don't know why, but I've decided it does.

Cherry Blossom 5K in March 2012 - 44:00. I literally jogged the first half mile, then kept stopping to walk, then my iPod died right at the first mile marker. The rest was horrible, I was miserable. I hadn't been able to run or work out at all for 3-4 weeks before (when I had surgery), so I was kind of just happy (but mad) to finish. Whatever, it happened.

Bluemont 5K in April 2012 - 49:00 ish. I knew the last half mile (or full mile? I don't remember) was up the 951', but I literally had no idea that the rest of the race was ON the mountain, and when you've only been running on treadmills, your ankles/feet/legs are not used to all of the different angles. I kept jogging then stopping, jogging then stopping. Then, the incline climb (the very last part of the race)...I just couldn't keep going (I thought), I kept stopping, standing, stopping, standing...it was so rough. When I crossed the finish line, pretty sure the volunteer EMTs thought I was going to pass out. I was literally THE last person to finish. It was horrible. I was pretty upset honestly, to be the last one to finish, but I hadn't really been training for it, and felt prettttty sick after, so the pukey-ness overshadowed the upset-ness. And I said I never wanted to run that race again.

Napa to Sonoma half marathon in July 2012 - 2:41. So, another excuse - I had been doing crossfit + crossfit endurance since April (after surgery recovery), and was planning to come in around 2:10. Then my shoulder was injured and I had to take a few weeks off because it literally hurt to breathe in. I was able to do a few crossfit endurance workouts in the weeks leading up to it, but only the running workouts (not the actual crossfit or strength parts). The first 4-5 miles felt fine, middle ones were SO boring. Stopping to use a port-o-potty was the worst decision ever, because once you stop, it's so hard to get back into the running groove. I didn't even really think there were many hills, and my strategy was to run up the hills and then walk down to give myself a little break. By mile 9 my legs felt so weak, I just kept thinking - keep going, keep going, loosen the legs, etc. Some of the TNT coaches asked if I was feeling ok (I wasn't in the TNT program), and I was like what do you mean? I'm not stopping, just trying to shake it out. My feet were so sore after, I just didn't want to walk anywhere, didn't want to wear shoes, didn't want to stand. They only had teeny little cups of water at the finish line (plus a bunch of not-so-paleo-friendly stuff like granola bars, v8, who knows what else) and I was soooo thirsty. I found the Zico coconut water booth and kind of just stood there...taking samples. (Thank you, Zico.)

Arlington 9-11 Memorial 5K 2012 - 33:34. I was pretty pleased with this time, honestly. I stopped to walk maybe 5-6 different times for maybe 20-30 seconds each time. The roads were wet (there were tornado watches that morning, so I wasn't even sure the race was going to happen). But this was, hands down, the best race I've been to. There were people cheering in a few random places, a guy playing a bagpipe under an overpass, and a ridiculous finish line party (pretty much unlimited beer, pizza, burgers, etc...I don't eat any of that, but still, nice party!) Also, the first time I've felt like puking after running.

Beach Running Championships 10K October 2012 - I ran this with my mom (literally ran with her while my brother just took off), so it was worth it, and nice to not feel like puking at the end. (Actually, maybe I did feel like puking at the end after I decided to sprint the last 100m to beat this larger dude that passed us.)

SOME Turkey Trot - November 2012 - 32:04 1:30 faster than the September 5K! When I finished, I literally had no idea how fast I had been running, at all. About a mile into it, I decided I wasn't going to stop to walk at all, except to grab water at the water stop at the halfway point. And, I did not stop. I'm pretty convinced I ran an extra half mile at least, from all of the zig-zagging in and out of people. I will never ever understand why people who walk start at the front of the pack when the KNOW they're not going to run, much less keep up. And people were walking 4-5 across, blocking runners. I was running in and out of people, around parked cars, it was so annoying. The last 400m did not feel pleasant and I felt the puking coming, but I refused to stop. I wish I had pushed a little harder to break 32:00. (The time, when I finished, said like 44-something, and I had no idea how far back we had started from the first guys.)

Here's the thing: Between the October 10K and the SOME 5K, I did not run AT ALL. I did not train for a race. There was one 400m run as a warmup to one of the crossfit wods, and then I ran two blocks to my car after a wod one night, but that's all the running I did that entire month. I didn't even expect to come close to my September 5K time, and during the turkey trot, I didn't ever feel like I was really trying to run, it was a comfortable jog pace (with a lot of slowing down and zig-zagging, ugh).

New goal: <30:00 5K

Ok, this may seem SO slow for some people. But I have never really run a mile in under 10:00 in my life. I've done some sprints at a faster pace on the treadmill (so you have to go that fast or fall over, you know), but I've never trained for a pace under 10:00/mile.

So, here it goes. I'll try to document stuff here in the hopes that maybe one day someone will stumble across a post or this post and it will inspire them that they, too, can finish a race/run faster/break previous records/etc.

Side note, I still have absolutely no idea how people run a mile in under 7:00. (Ok, I really have no idea how people run a mile in under 9:00. I could see pushing myself to 9:00 pace, maybe, for only one mile though. But faster than that for multiple miles?) And how is it even possible to run a mile in under 5:00?! I just don't get it.

Also, goal: finish line photo that does not look like I am completely miserable.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

101 in 1001 update

I'll start this by saying...some of my 101 things were probably a little more ambitious than they should be :) My start date was June/July 2011. I think I've completed a total of 20-something..sooo I have quite a bit more to go.

Completed:
2. run a half marathon (ran napa to sonoma half in july 2012 - so great! well, it was great in the beginning, up to about mile 6, and then it was not AS great, until the finish line. then it was fun to have finished.)
3. avoid eating at restaurants for 30 days - because i'm mostly paleo most of the time, this one is just easy for me..i'd rather know what's in my food anyway
15. go snow tubing - i wish i could go snow tubing every weekend
34. take (and pass) crossfit L1 test before dec 31st (2011) - yayyy! and they have a crossfit trainer directory now, i'm on there :)
38. visit napa again (half marathon)
39. plan a girls' vacay
  40. actually go on girls' vacay
  45. take vacay with the fam (tahoe/san fran) - i think i should move to tahoe?
46. take on a leadership role in an organization
47. take on PR or other leadership role in junior league
  49. become active in junior league - joined june 2011
  64. buy (and use) another dresser - ok, this happened, but my clothes are not at all organized. i think i need a professional organizer/stylist. on retainer. to come over and organize/pick out my clothes. weekly. 
  66. enter a baking contest - july 2011 - but now want to enter a non-biased baking contest
  69. actually use kitchen aid mixer to bake something (i use it all the time now!)
  73. get rid/give away a bunch of stuff sitting in storage (probably need to do this again. or like 5 more times.)
  76. get a "new" haircut (by "new" i actually dyed by hair brown and then let natural color come back. it's SO much better than wasting so much money on highlights every month or two.)
  78. write a thank you note to someone in an under-appreciated job (i'd love to do this more)
  86. go to professional tennis match (legg-mason)
97. successfully bake a layered cake (will post pics soon)

I also added some bonus ones (or replacement ones when I decide something isn't doable):

-join/start cornhole/skeeball team one season (ok, did this a few times)
-see mayday parade live again (amaz)

and bonus ones yet to be completed:
-go skydiving again, preferably somewhere awesome near a beach
-say yes to everything (reasonable) for a day
-say no to everything for a day
-take an anti-gravity yoga class (http://www.stylebyme.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/anti-gravity-yoga.jpg )
-take a parkour class (just because how ridiculous is it??)
-buy one of the deal of the day vacations, and just go
-take a sailing class
-see a penguin. in person. (ridiculous)
-take a picture with a celebrity
-send a secret to postsecret
-visit fallingwater, pa  - http://www.fallingwater.org/
-drive the road to hana (maui)
-run big sur marathon relay - find 4 friends
-try lava barre

Monday, October 1, 2012

hey guys, guess what?

For the first time since JUNE, I successfully did (a few) burpees (yesterday) and rowed (3 rounds of 500m) without pain!

I think everyone hates/loves burpees, and by hates/loves, I mean hates, despises, would really rather do anything else except burpees. After surgery in March (way fun), once I started working out again (after completing a 5K with the worst time ever) I followed the Crossfit Endurance programming, which, luckily, seemed to have a lot of burpees involved. And I hated burpees. (Yes, actually.) So I would throw in a few burpees on days they were not involved in the workouts, to force myself to get better at them and stop hating them. I wouldn't say I was good at them - I feel like maybe I'm not strong/brave enough to throw myself down, and then not strong enough to forcefully push myself back up as quickly as most crossfitters. But, I got to a point where I didn't hate them (as much) and actually felt like they weren't (as) horrible.

Then I injured my shoulder, and anything involving pushing or pulling was out for a while (and anything overhead for a while longer). After my first push up attempts a few weeks ago, I still had some lingering pain, so I was too afraid to even attempt burpees. But now, I did it...somewhat successfully (aka no pain, knock on wood), and I'm happy about it. (Isn't it weird that once you get older you get excited/happy about stuff that, 5 years ago, you would have thought was ridiculous? I'm happy that I can do burpees again? I'm excited to go grocery shopping? I'm happy if I don't have plans on Friday night so I can gym and then sit in front of the TV? What is going on?!)

Today's wod:
3 rounds:
500m row
15 kettlebell swing (used 35#)
15 knees to elbows

Anyway, I'm going to (some time this week) post a delicious s'mores cake recipe I made for my little cousin's birthday. It was so delicious, sooooo delicious, and the first time I had attempted a layered cake in a long time. And it probably proved that I should have been a baker.

Friday, September 28, 2012

oh hello

I haven't posted in so long, I know :\

I just won the Nikki's Coconut Butter giveaway over on Mangia - and I am seriously SO excited! I read about Nikki's Coconut Butter on a few blogs a while ago, and then saw the Nutella Banana Bread recipe on PaleOMG (one of my fave blogs by the way) and wanted to order coconut butter asap, but then saw this giveaway. Probably need to make these ASAP:
(Image credit: PaleOMG)

These coconut butter "Reese's" look pretty delicious too.
(Image credit: Nikki's Coconut Butter)

In other news, I think I haven't been posting mainly because I can't consistently think of things to post about, and that's mainly because my blog doesn't have a focus or direction. So, here's what I'll be posting about from now :
  • going paleo/trying paleo recipes from other sites/etc.
  • crossfit (for those not really "in shape" - i feel like there are many crossfit blogs but, not many out there from more amateur/non-competing crossfitters. and, let me tell you, i am not at all competing, and pretty not strong, haha. so i'm talking about a blog from someone who usually finishes one of the last in workouts. this, plus the paleo posts, will be mainly for tracking my progress, and hopefully, if i'm lucky, inspiring at least one person along the way.)
  • DC stuff (i feel like i need a DC bucket list, even though i don't have plans to leave any time soon)
  • stuff i try from pinterest (that does or does not work)
  • awesome (or failed) recipes (non-paleo, mostly cakes/cookies/desserts i make for other people)
  • maybe i'll throw in some gifs


Thursday, August 16, 2012

i'm back...it's ok....

it's ok...

...to not have posted anything for months - sorry! i've been focusing on PR stuff for junior league, and work has been busy, and i went on vacation...

...to really like doing PR :) like, reallllly like it.

...to be the only person in the world without an iPhone. ok, not in the world...but EVERYONE i know has an iphone, except me. i just can't go back to touch screen, i feel old...

...to be really upset if nadal ends up having to retire because of injuries.

...to watch here comes honey boo every week. and tweet quotes from it. so ridiculous.

...to not really be surprised by which states have the most obese people. but ok, clearly this is a huge (not a pun) intended - when is something going to change? americans just keep getting fatter and more and more unhealthy.

...to not have another vacation planned. and to be really upset about this. where can i go?

...to be on probably week 4 of strict Whole30-style paleo, but to have made exceptions on weekends - not food, just alcohol (but a paleo-friendly drink that bartenders have kind of been annoyed at me about - norcal margarita!)

...to have become "ill" late saturday night because of so many of those margaritas. vomiting is so horrible.

...to not really miss any processed foods...except ice cream and cookies. i can totally live without bread, pasta, rice, chips...but cookies? i'm not so sure. i've made paleo brownies before, a few different recipes, which were pretty delicious, and i think i could totally live with those instead of regular cookies...except at christmas time.

...to partly never want to eat gluten again because of an incident a few weeks ago. went out with friends, had some drinks (not the paleo-friendly margarita like above, i think it was just wine), and a beer (maybe this was the major mistake), and a slice of super greasy pizza when drunk at 2am. i woke up around 3am with the worst stomach pain EVER in life. i was teary,trying not to try. i laid in bed for at least 45 minutes just cringing in pain, grabbing at my stomach, trying to figure out what was going on and how to make it stop. i was so close to waking up the husband to have him take me to the ER - it was that bad.

...to just not want to run lately. my running workouts on monday and tuesday were rough - not far, just rough, my legs felt so heavy, i felt out of energy.

...to really want to go back to school for a masters, but then, not want to go back because of sooo many articles out there that say it might not be worth it. i think experience is more important than the degree (depending on the field of course) BUT if no one will hire you because you don't have that experience...what do you do?

...to be worried when your husband can go more than one day (i'm not going to say how long) without showering. and to be really disgusted. but can't say anything because he gets upset and defensive. GET HELP. the end.

...to be iffy about getting more cells removed from where a mole was today. i just hate knives. i didn't really feel it the first time, and it was like 30 seconds long...but this must take a little longer, right? ugh.

...to not be super upset about taking a day or two off from working out because of the above (to let my arm heal a little before doing things that will increase blood pressure so soon after). i mean, i love working out, but just don't have as much energy as before lately...and 1-2 days off will certainly help my shoulder heal a little more before pushing it more.

...to have purchased tickets to four different concerts in one day. and then tickets for another concert a week later. SO. EXCITED.

...to add in periods for emphasis. like. this. i don't even know why i do it.

...to love my chiropractor for doing ART therapy. but hate that my insurance doesn't cover it. it's $50/visit...and i've spent probably over $600 in the last two months on this. luckily my shoulder is mostly better, but there are still days it is a little worse. just heal already!

...to be banning myself from purchasing any more work clothes. seriously, i keep buying from ny& co when there are big sales. but honestly, my poor closet....i need to go through it and box some stuff up (and move those boxes to storage)...and actually hang all this stuff up instead of leaving it in a huge pile on the dresser. do you ever do that? i just end up using the same clothes over and over (washing of course) and leaving them in a pile...instead of mixing it up.

...to not ban myself from buying workout clothes. have you tried the compression workout capris from old navy? they're like $20, so way less expensive than big workout brands, but (i think) just as good.

...that this post does not feature any photos. sorry :(

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Thursday, June 14, 2012

ok ok ok

it's ok...

...that i have no idea if i'm pulling off what i'm wearing or not. i'm trying this whole mixing colors thing, and i have on a bright blue skirt from ny & co, with a sort of light hot pink top...and then hot pink cap toe flats. so. bright. i love it. but noooo idea at all if i look like a crazy person from the 90s... (below are the shoes)


...that i'm pretty positive i had some weird type of flulike thing from eating normal people food this weekend. i hadn't had pizza in so long.

...i haven't bought any new clothes in >2 weeks. that is crazy for me! but i did spend a lot on drinks last weekend sooo i guess we're even.

...that i've taken naps from about 7-10pm 3 nights this week. oops.

...that i wish it was last week so i'd be heading to the beach tonight. such a good weekend.

...that i have no idea how i was not hungover at all last weekend. (i didn't run and crossfit like i said i was going to though. i had such big plans! i was going to wake up fri and sat and run to the crossfit gym and get in a workout. did not happen. i slept til at least 10am every day...way past everyone else.)

...to wish "work" meant pinning things on pinterest every day. and baking or buying them.

...to just feel really worn out and need a week on a beach alone somewhere to recover from life.

...that i dreamed about rope climbs last night; by this i mean, dreamed i could actually do them. and so i continued to climb the rope over and over again.

...that i've realized that if there is chocolate around, i will eat it. especially mini rolos. if i see them, i will buy them. if i buy them, i will eat them...immediately. not good.



...to be so tired of this shoulder injury. i've only been able to run as a workout for the last week and a half and it sucks! i just want to lift some stuff and throw weight around.

...to be annoyed with verizon's new non-unlimited data plans, their pricing and service in general, and new lack of ringtones.

...to be kind of excited about making this for a bday party: