100th Post and 5 Milestones I'm Celebrating this September

via

I've officially hit my 100th post for the blog, so it is officially a reason to celebrate! I think it's important to celebrate milestones- big or small. So here are five milestones I'm celebrating this September: 

1. We are officially in the 70's (at least this week) in Houston. I'm not a morning runner, but I sure wished I was able to get up and out for a quick run this morning. I'm so hoping all of our training in the heat and humidity will make us stronger runners in this cooler weather. Oh yeah, and cooler weather means that our fall decorations are finally legitimate. I stocked up on a few more decorations this weekend, and I'll be sharing some more of our fall decor over the next couple of weeks. 

2. Upping our marathon mileage: We are officially increasing the mileage week by week in preparation for the Chevron Houston Marathon. We are at a solid 8 miles and going for 10 this weekend. I'm struggling with headaches after my longer runs (nothing new), which has a lot to do with some fueling issues I need to fix, as well as hydration issues.

Bright colors make me happy during long runs!

• Note: my go-to fuel for long races are the GU Chomps (like little fruit snacks) I swear by the apple-cranberry flavor because they aren't too sweet. They are easy to eat and run at the same time. When I eat these - typically around mile 8 or 9 during a race, I feel much better during recovery and it cuts my headaches down dramatically.  I'll have to do another post on other types of fuel I have experimented with during my runs.

 

3. Pedicures to keep my running toenails under control: You're probably wondering why I'm considering a pedicure as one of my milestones.... Well, you see, my second toenail on each foot, have both been running casualties over the years. I'm sad to say I lost both of them this past December. Sad Days. It really is the strangest thing- it's just those two problem toes. Gross, I know- probably a bit of TMI. I have actually been able to maintain my toenails this time around. Go team! It is almost impossible as a runner to have pretty feet- which is slightly embarrassing, given the fact that I do enjoy wearing my peep-toed heels to work. This time, I was determined to keep my toenails around. They do this really gross thing where they will actually start growing a second toenail underneath, turn completely black and then pop off. (I'm embarrassed I'm even sharing this). My trick this time around? A proper pedicure. Aaron and I have both been getting them- and I've found that by constantly maintaining your toenails has been a huge help at keeping them healthy. They haven't turned black yet! In all honesty, I'm not a huge fan of pedicures, because I feel like they are too time consuming, but this time around-they are worth it. 

 Any other toe-nail-less runners out there? Any tricks you've used that work?

4. A Promotion:

I've always said "work hard, play hard." I am in the school of thought that you need to work hard- like really hard- to get what you want. When it comes to my career, I work as hard as I can- because why wouldn't you? I'm happy to be surrounded by others who share the same philosophy! I had an email pop across my window from my boss a few weeks ago- a meeting invite. Strange. He doesn't normally do formal meeting invites. I thought he wanted to talk about October. Because October- October is busy. Remember that ebb and the flow? Well, right now, I'm feeling like I'm caught in a riptide. And as for the 2x2? There's not a whole lot more that can fit. I thought our discussion would revolve around the logistics of October. But then, people surprise you. He called me in to let me know that he appreciated my work and that I was receiving a promotion. I get to do the same thing, with a little more selectiveness on some of the other activities that take up some of my time and I can focus more of my attention on expanding our content (digital and written) as necessary!

If you're interested, you can see some of my articles on the Huffington Post! (another item on my bucket list)!

Now, it's still kind of on the hush hush, but I'll be official soon. :)

Now that deserves an adult beverage:

Remember this? We finally tried our Dancing Bee Winery wine, and it was pretty delish! This was the driest of the options, and we have one more Raspberry Melomel to try. You can definitely taste the honey (60%). Such a neat concept!

     

5.  I feel physically stronger than I have ever been. I have tweaked my diet a bit, by adding in more protein than I have before, as well as incorporating raw fruits and veggies every day, starting with my morning smoothie. I've seen a huge difference in my performance, as well as in my recovery after a long run. The yoga has really helped with my flexibility and my endurance is improving thanks to stronger muscles from bootcamp. I am looking forward to hopefully achieving that PR during the 1/2 marathon in Dallas in December. My energy levels are fantastic and I feel ready to tackle every day (after my cup of coffee). And as always, my mind is going like 50 miles per hour, that I could probably work a bit on quieting the mind!   

Workouts this week: A fast 5k Monday evening, yoga Tuesday evening, bike-ride Wednesday evening and bootcamp tonight!

Happy Thursday!

Fall Favorites+Marathon Update

I've been trying to hold out until the official first day of fall. I'll admit- I've caved a few times- and had my first PSL of the season at the very beginning of September. It's been a slippery slope since then. I've had a few PSL's here and there and some pumpkin creamer may or may not have slipped into my morning coffee, but this weekend. This weekend- things got real. And by real, I mean the roomie and I got a bit crazy and full-fledged decorated the house for fall. Oh well, in a few days, we will be official.

And by official, I mean- I've already started busting out my neutrals:

This was from my event Monday evening. We brought in a zen master to speak on mindfulness in healthcare!

 Before I launch into the fall pics, let me discuss marathon training. I had a moment a couple of weeks ago, where I was tired of training in the heat, I got pooped on by a bird, and I just wasn't sure if I could up my mileage in time for the January marathon. I wanted so badly to drop down to the half. But, the weather got cooler this weekend, and upping my mileage the past two weeks hasn't been an issue, so I'm back in the right frame of mind.

We knocked out a 6-mile run last weekend and an easy 7-miler this past weekend- and honestly, felt like we could have gone longer. Pace was slightly above my intended race pace. The weather this weekend was perfect for a run. We started off at 8 in the morning, and it was probably about 80 degrees, but it was misting outside, so it felt nice. I didn't have any issues, but probably need to re-think my morning fuel as I increase the mileage. Fueling during long runs is the thing that makes me most nervous during races.

We ended the weekend with a 22-mile bike-ride on Sunday! Yoga was yesterday, and he led us through some great lower back stretches, a run tonight, and bootcamp tomorrow! I'll go anywhere from 8-10 miles this weekend depending on the time I have (I have to work Saturday), and probably throw in another bike ride.

Now, for fall:

And that is just the outside! We've since added some gourds and pumpkins to enhance the curb appeal- and are adding to the inside as well! I'll be back tomorrow with some other fall favorites, as well as some details about the outdoor decor!

Happy Hump Day!

Seasons

As summer closes out (can you tell I'm ready for fall?), I'm mentally gearing up for fall. To me, summer is a time to relish our moments outside. To spend time with friends at the pool, which we've done a lot of this summer. To get a really good bike ride in. Summer is about sweating when you get a good workout in. Summer in Texas is about  sno-cones and having sweat dripping down your back, when you go outside. It's about being active and enjoying the outside.  Oh yeah, and an annual girl's trip (which I still need to share with you).

To me, fall is such a nice complement to summer. It's about being cozy and maybe spending a bit more time inside. It's about remembering to take those quiet moments when you need them and staying a bit longer in bed because it's a bit chilly outside. It's a warm cup of coffee, a good book and a pumpkin buttercream candle. And if we're being honest with ourselves, it's also about those pumpkin spice lattes. 

 

To me, it's also come to be about football (what? Did I just say that?) I never thought I'd say that really. Football was never a huge deal to me growing up in California. But Texans do football- and they do it big. And it's become one of my favorite fall traditions.

Typically, fall has been about slowing down, but this fall will be a bit different. I'm ramping up on a pretty big project at work, combined with a busy events season on my work schedule as well- it's shaping up to be fairly hectic. Not to mention that little marathon I'm training for, as well as the Dallas Metro PCS half marathon in December. So while I do hope to enjoy those football games, a good book and some pumpkin spice lattes- I'm going to have to reconfigure that restfulness portion of it. But you know what? I'm totally okay with that. I think my good friend, Oscar says it best:

Some of my fave summer pics:

Happy Weekending!

It's Fall Ya'll

So I know I have taken quite the blogging hiatus over the past month- or maybe even two. But no worries, I'm back- and more ready to blog than ever. So as not to bore you with all the little details- I'll just give you a quick recap. Sorry for the lack of pics (my camera cord seems to have gone missing during the move).

Lately I...

1. Moved to my new "big girl" apartment, which I love, but now a month later- and I'm still trying to unpack. Thank God for boyfriends and drills. Pics to come.

2. Went for a weekend trip in Galveston for my 24th birthday. Pics to come. I'm officially old.

3. Have been freelancing for the magazine. I recently wrote a story on breast cancer survivors.

4. Started another bootcamp- this one is only on Tuesdays and Thursdays. A co-worker and I go after work since it's right around the corner.

5. Have been working like crazy, but loving it. In between meetings, deadlines and calls, the past three months have been quite the learning experience. I really enjoy it- and I love our team- I am exactly where I should be right now.

On the "To-Do" List: 

1. Take some time to slow down and just enjoy life a little.

And I say that because I am guilty as charged. Too often we go running through life- always with the "next" thing in mind. We jump out of bed in the mornings, run to the coffee pot, desperately wait until the first sip of caffeine does its job, rush through a shower, frantically pull on a work appropriate outfit, and rush out of the door.

Then, we sit in traffic- checking our watches and anxiously tapping our steering wheel as we edge closer to the person in front of us- as if those few inches will get us there faster. When we finally arrive at work- we rush through the door with a few minutes to spare before the first meeting. Well... you get the picture. There is a whole lot of rushing around- until Sunday afternoon rolls around and you realize your entire weekend was spent checking things off of your social calendar- and that you have literally spent maybe 20 minutes to yourself just to be still.

We (and by "we," I mean "me") totally forget to pay attention and be thankful for the things that matter. We become grumpy and rundown. We forget that life- and the people in our lives- make it beautiful. We forget that the 75 degree weather we have been dreaming of all summer- is finally here- and that we should make it a point to take advantage of it on our new balcony. We forget that fall- our favorite season- has finally arrived- and that it's long past due to break out the fall decor. And most importantly, we forget to be thankful.

So now I'm taking time to remember to be thankful for- that first drop of coffee that I know will wake me up, for the smell of fall when I open my door to leave in the morning, for the briskness in the morning that holds all the promise of a nice 75 degree day, for the weekends that are filled with friends and fun- and surely even a few moments where we can squeeze in some relaxation.

And be thankful for these:

these:

And these:

Happy Fall- I'm glad to be back :)