Life Lately

*ahem* Hello? Is this thing on? Holy moly, y’all… I swear that I’m alive, that things are fine. But at some point, blogging just wasn’t a priority. I’ve still done my races, had a blast, taken photos galore, but at some point, I’m just like Meh. That race recap isn’t important.

So here we are, it’s freaking December and I haven't really blogged about anything since what, June? Where have the last six months gone? Let me tell you.

1. Wedding Planning

We had all these grand intentions to knock out a whole bunch of important wedding things over the summer during the three weeks that we share as "down time" (and I use that term super loosely). We didn't get as much done as we could have, nor probably should have and now that we're like 106 days out, it's time to get cranking on things we haven't done yet (officiant, dessert, other relatively minor things) but it's time to be putting it all together! Holy cow! 

We did our engagement photos the weekend before Thanksgiving (you know, 9 months after we got engaged) and I'm just in LOVE. A drizzly, gray day at Disneyland but it made the colors and lighting and story just all that much better. We super lucked out with finding Brady and I can't wait to see what he does for our wedding! 

2. Still Running

I mean, you don't expect that to ever change, right? Since June, I've hopped around, running San Diego and Seattle half marathons, paced Ventura in September, ran the Long Beach Marathon in October, added a birthday race, went to a conference in Indiana and conveniently was there the same time as the Indianapolis Monumental race weekend so duh new state to cross off! Vegas was right after that with some of the best girlfriends ever to top it all off. Tomorrow, I'm headed up to Sacramento to run the California International Marathon (my original goal race for the year) and pending its result, maybe you'll actually hear all about it! 

This is how we roll. Rock 'n Roll Las Vegas 2016. 

3. Enjoying Family Time

My sister moved back to California from five years in New York in the middle of July and I am sooo happy to have her home! Not only is it great having her home for wedding planning, but it's pretty fantastic having my whole immediate family in one place. There are only four of us in my immediate family, so we are small, and it's awesome knowing that we can kinda see each other whenever. Lots of family time and I wouldn't have it any other way! 

4. #WorkLife

This summer was insane. I mean, summer always is and my running mileage takes a total nosedive, but that's expected. But we made it through another summer of orientation programming, insane schedules, ups and downs and a summer with these amazing 45 student leaders I get to call my team. They are ridiculous, spirited, genuine beautiful human beings and I am so grateful that I get to call it my job to work with them and watch them in action.

Scheedules this summer were just crazy, and that's an understatement to say the least, but nothing we couldn't handle! Next summer is already shaping up to be a little cray cray too, but that's the way it rolls in the world of higher education - you just about never know what you're going to get!

5. Health

Nothing major, to start. But a major struggle this year has been some health and wellness challenges that some days, just knock me on my butt. About 6 years ago, I did a sleep study that revealed nothing. Just last week (right before Thanksgiving), I did another and while results are pending, I am hopeful that it starts guiding my doctors to some answers. 

Can you sleep attached to that for a night?

My challenge is that I can sleep for hours - 5, 7, 10 - and I never feel rested. I never get to a point where I feel entirely alert. Any given day, I can take a nap on my office floor for an hour and be out (that's twice now), or I'm asleep in the car on the way home from Disneyland in 5 minutes flat. I am out cold - dead to the world - but still wake up feeling totally and completely exhausted. I've worn my Garmin to bed for the last three months to get an idea of my sleep habits and essentially, I never hit REM sleep, which is when your body ultimately settles down, recharges and rests. I never get there, which would explain why I can sleep 10 hours and feel just as tired as if I slept 5. My doctor mentioned a few ideas that he thinks may be the diagnosis, but I'll hold off until I actually find out what's up, hopefully in the next week or so. 

I like to think that this hasn't affected me day-to-day but in hindsight, it's totally dictated how some of my days, weeks, go and I hate it. Hate. It. 

So there you have it. It feels like a lot and then not a lot at all, but it all adds up, right? I'm hoping I can start getting on the blogging bandwagon again soon because I miss y'all! More soon. 

xoxo

Hung 4 the Holidays: Ornament Exchange!

As a blogger, who doesn't love the opportunity to do swaps, giveaways, and other stuff that allows you to collect more stuff for around the house? I'm one, that's for sure! For the holidays, three of my favorite bloggers: Carlyn from Just Keep Sweating, Jenn from Fit Appetit, and Gina from Burning Babi Fat hosted an ornament exchange! I can never have enough ornaments, despite not having a tree this year, so I was excited to add a new one to the collection!

I was lucky enough to get Mindy, whose blog I follow anyway, so I knew a little bit about her, but got some awesome clues to find her the perfect ornament - and apparently I did well!

From Mindy's post!

Apparently this kitten looks just like one of her fur kids, Cullen, so she was super excited to see this guy come out of her package. Let me tell you, finding a (cute) cat ornament was not easy - who knew? Check out Mindy's post for her ornament love!

I was lucky enough to be adopted by my elf, Kristyn. I gave her what I thought were some pretty easy descriptors and would give her a lot to work with: Lets see. I love traveling! I'm from California, now living in Georgia by way of Texas (job), San Diego (grad school) and Arizona (undergrad). Love running, first full marathon in February! And congrats on your first 5K - hope it goes GREAT! Oh, and I love my dog, Molly. She's a German shepherd/blue heeler mix and the love of my life. :) I also love all things nail polish! I think that's a lot you can work with! Haha. Oh, one more: especially in regards to Christmas, but also all year, I love all things glittery. :)

I mean... that should be enough, right? Right. And she hit it right on the spot with this awesomely fabulous running ornament (applicable for my first major running year) from Etsy:

Just love it!

How great, right? Thanks so much Kristyn! And thanks to Carlyn, Jenn and Gina for hosting - hopefully there will be another swap to look forward to for next year!

Have you ever participated in an ornament swap (whether online or in person)? Would you participate in one? 

Giveaway: Sparkly Soul!

Happy Monday everyone! Hope the week and the first Monday of December has sent you off to a fabulous start. Me? This is what outside looks like:

Are you kidding? Yes please, especially after some really cool days lately. However, I feel odd wearing a scarf and having worn my peacoat to work. Hmph.

Anyway, I'm really excited to be hosting a giveaway from the lovely folks at Sparkly Soul - which you all know is pretty much my favorite running headgear ever - glitter and function? What's not to love! Are you a SS lover and fanatic like me? Well, you'll love having the opportunity to win a glitzy band of your own, in your color choice, and wide or thin width.

I personally prefer the wide width when I'm running or at the gym, but I use the thin ones regularly to make me feel like I did my hair in the morning, even when I just blew it dry and threw a headband in. Trust me, it works. I really like the wide bands because unlike most headbands, these guys actually stay - they're lined with a velvet material on the inside, so they literally have no way to slip or move around. Love, just love!

Before one of  my first runs with my black band - where I took 1st in my age group for the first time ever! Glitter works, y'all.

Want to enter to win a super fabulous headband of your own? You've got a few ways to do that! First, comment and tell me what your go-to race outfit of choice is, along with what your Sparkly Soul band color of choice is. And then check out the other multiple ways you can get more entries throughout this week! Comment each time you complete an entry.

Contest closes December 8, 2012 at 12 am midnight EST. Winner will be chosen at random by a random number generator and contacted via email.

While you're at it, follow/like/do things with all of Sparkly Soul's sites. They frequently do giveaways and contests (I won five bands in August via a Pinterest contest!) via Instagram, Pinterest, and their blog. Check 'em all out for more sparkly fun! 

Pinterest | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Don't forget to comment and tell me you did a particular entry method. Doing just the entry doesn't count!

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Totally Random Thursday

Hiya! I'm out 'n about (on a plane, in Austin, or San Marcos, or back in Austin), so for this exciting mid-week post you get a little random fun. I like random. I can be random. Enjoy.

The amazing Gina at Noshing on Asphalt nominated me for a Very Inspiring Blogger Award.  Gina is actually one of my inspiring newly-found blogger friends, both here and from #sweatpink.  She just kicked tail at her first full, MCM this past weekend, which she ran for her fallen brother and some other men killed with him in action. Inspiring, and I love the story behind it, as hard as it is (I imagine).

This is an award that’s been circulating in the blogging community and allows people to recognize someone that’s inspired them.  What I love about this ‘award’ is that it allows you to get to know me better through me listing a series of random things about myself - doesn't this sound like fun? 

1. I have major texture issues when it comes to food. It took me awhile to identify them, but now that I have... you get to learn my oddities. Creamy foods with chunks of stuff in freaks me out (i.e. clam chowder) because you never know when those chunks will show up.  However, chunky foods that have a cream base are totes okay (i.e. cottage cheese). Weird, no?

2. I'm a crazy to-do lister. When I was an undergrad, I wouldn't make plans with you unless I had my planner in front of me so I could tell you what was what and where I was. I'm not nearly as bad now (mostly because my life is running and work and the dog park), but I still function off to-do lists. It's great at times, but yes... I overwhelm myself.

3. If you haven't been paying attention, I'm running full marathon #1 on February 3, 2013! I registered this past May, knowing full well that it'd take me 9 months to get physically, let alone mentally, ready for doing this. Surf City, here I come!

4. I'm terrified of the dark. I mean, not really, I don't mind the dark, I just have (what I call) an over-active imagination. Shapes and figures and shadows and creepy murder stories get the best of me -- therefore, I watch no scary movies, and I avoid anything CSI-esque. No thank you.

5. I bite my nails and have ever since I was a kid. My mom used to try using that clear, bitter nail polish -- didn't work. I'd bite right through it. Now the only way for me to leave 'em alone is if they're polished, so it is a rare day that you will see my nails naked. Today I'm rocking a dark purple French mani. Love colored Frenches, so much more fun than white!

This week, I'm nominating Katy Beth over at Curly Runner Bug. She's a friend from undergrad, but we've reconnected lately thanks to the wonders of Twitter and blogging and the fun that running can be (it brings people together! Dawwww). She's heading down to Surf City to run the half, so I'll see her for the first time in years in February! KB rocks my socks and has been an incredible source of motivation & inspiration over the last year. AND she just nailed her sub-2 hour half marathon this past weekend at her half marathon #10. TEN! Amazing.

I Sweat Pink!

 #sweatpink

There's a number of blogging/tweeting/online fitness communities, all which I've seen all over (Twitter, mostly). I've always wanted to find a way to get involved, as I'd really like to find additional means for not only holding myself accountable, but for finding more ways to inspire and encourage others out there to get fit, have fun, and make a difference in their lives (and hopefully the lives of others!).

And then I found Sweat Pink. Not going to lie, I had seen the ambassador information about a month ago, but applied for a different community instead, and well... still haven't heard from them. And I like pink. A lot. And then when my friend Katy Beth applied to Sweat Pink, I figured I had something to give, too. Thanks for the push, KB. :) So I did it, last Friday night, when I had nothing else to do but sit and focus on ways to get myself more motivated and really on this running wagon...

And, on Tuesday of this week, I got a super exciting email!

 

I hadn't seen any tweets from Katy Beth about her receiving an email, so I didn't want to post anything at first -- and then she finally got hers, too! Hooray! I'm really excited be part of an already very motivational, inspiring group of (mostly) women, and excited to have a group to connect to! Thanks, Sweat Pink, for picking me and allowing me to be part of the team!

Interested in applying? Check it out here: Sweat Pink Ambassador Program. 

Are you part of an online blogging/fitness community? How do you rely on them for motivation, inspiration, and support?