PDX Bound + Birthday Shenanigans!

I'm so excited that my #30halfsfor30years is finally kick off today! Doug and I are bound for Portland this morning, heading up for the Portland Marathon where I'll be running the half on Sunday.

This has been planned since early August, but at first time felt like ti was just creeping by and now I can't believe it's HERE!

Oregon is state #8 in my 50 states quest, and I'm excited to go play in Portland, too. We don't have a ton planned yet, but I know I want to check out the International Rose Test Garden, the mandatory Voo Doo Doughnuts, but the rest is up for grabs! We're only there until Monday morning, so we've got pretty much today and Sunday afternoon to get our fun in.

Roses on roses on roses...

But in addition to the Portland race, this weekend officially kicks off my 10 days of utter birthday shenanigans. #30halfsfor30years is in celebration of my 30th half next Saturday at Rock 'n Roll Brooklyn while I celebrate my 30th birthday with my sister in New York! Check out what ridiculousness I'm up to:

Today, Saturday, October 4: To Portland
Sunday, October 5: Run Portland Half + get a tree!
Monday, October 6: Home from Portland
Wednesday, October 8: New York City bound
Saturday, October 10: RnR Brooklyn
Saturday, October 10: Fly back to LA
Sunday, October 11: Long Beach Half Marathon

This is my first-ever double weekend AND I'm doing it bi-coastally? I must be dumb. I know all three races aren't PRs, and may not be fast, but I am wayyy excited about my birthday trip! I get to see my sister again and spend a few days wit her, a weekend away with Doug, and get to do all the running! Make sure you follow along and check it all out with me!

Any suggestions for things to do in PDX? Have you ever done a racing bi-coastal weekend?

September Recap

Total run mileage: 83.41. Far shy of my goal, but that's okay.

Highest weekly run mileage: 40! Woot woot. I haven't seen that since marathon training in the spring.

# Runs: 18

# Rest days: Too many. 13.

# Cross-training workouts: Errrr... 1. Whoops?

# Races: Just Ventura for that awesome pacing gig on a too-long course. Womp.

     - Ventura Half 

Favorite run: Claremont Loop trail runs with these beauties. These have become a favorite so much, just to shake up things between roads + treadmills.  I wish had gotten more in over the summer, but schedules didn't allow that, and now that it's getting dark earlier, the park closes earlier and there's no way we'll make it. We were there in practical blackness the other night and that ish was scary. 

Current need: I need to get packing for Portland because we leave TOMORROW. And I need to get in on that strength training goal  I had last month (see below) because I haven't actually done that. Oops. I know, I know - epic fail, and if I'm going to be doing all these races in the fall/winter, and looking at a spring marathon, I need to get my butt on a weight bench and start doing things.

Current favorite: This birthday blog giveaway that's going on over here --> WOO! You DON'T want to miss it! I feel so grateful that I've been able to build connections with so many products + brands that I adore, especially when it comes to running and fitness, and that they're trusting me to a) continuing to spread the good word but b) are willing to let me give out awesome new prizes to you, too! Get in on it! 

Current goal: I've just got my eyes on my 1,000-year goal. I need to average 3.5 a day for the rest of the year, but with enough halfs, I hopefully can easily manage that. I want it so bad - first 1,000 mile year ever? Yes please!


Month Goals: So I didn't achieve all the goals I set up for September. And that's okay, as hard as it is to swallow a bit, I need to realize that sometimes life doesn't account for all you want to do.  So, let's see where I came in:

• 110 miles: Didn't make it, but 83 is a good upswing from where the summer was, so I'm going to take it and just keep on keepin' on with this in October. 110 or bust! 
• Start Strength Training: I didn't do anything. Seriously. With this fall running + pacing calendar, I need to get on it. 
• Cut Back on the Soda: I've certainly upped my water intake thanks to Waterlogged, where I track each day. I've cut back on soda and Starbucks, but have some room to go. Goal halfway met. 
• Pay Off One Credit Card!: One done! Two cards with a $0 balance feels good. Technically, this card is temporarily paid off, as I got a cash advance on my travel for my upcoming conference in Denver for work, but it still feels good to be collecting 0% interest on it for a few weeks! Still a win.

All in all, not a terrible September. Classes started last week on campus, so I'm looking forward to getting into a routine with everything -- running, blogging, Disney, work, you name it! October is going to be super cray-cray with all this travel and FUN, but I'm looking forward to continuing my work on the above goals and getting to work. 

What are your biggest accomplishments from this month? What are you looking forward to next month?

The Ultimate 30th Birthday Blog Giveaway

Anne of Green Gables was pretty much one of my favorite series growing up, and when a friend posted this quotation on Instagram this morning, I was instantly taken back to remembering reading the first book on the plane to Hungary one year as a kid. Sigh. 

It's October, people!

How did that happen?

The cool thing about October is that it starts with my birthday - that's right, today's the day, folks! 

New month

New goals

New decade

New age group

Crazy talk. Since I started running nearly four years ago, I've been in the same age group, so while it was inevitable, it certainly hit me this morning that I've got a race on Sunday and my first time in a new age group! Excitement - we'll see how speedy some of these 30-year-olds are! 

But meanwhile, the best thing about this birthday is that for MY birthday, I'm giving out some sweet presents! I've got a ton of super awesome folks that wanted to help me celebrate my birthday by contributing to one of TWO sweet runner-friendly prize packs! I'm way excited about what I get to hand out and cannot WAIT to get these bad boys mailed off to two lucky winners!

Check it out:

- 2 3-pack headbands from Sparkly Soul

- 1 Spartan Race entry for any US location!

- A handful of my favorite Gu flavors

- ProCompression marathon socks

- High Visibility SPIbelt 

- KIND Snacks -- graola bars, swag, you name it!

- ViewSport Women's tank

These are all some of my favorite running-related things in the world and I cannot believe that they are giving me the chance to share the love with you two. The above list will be divided into TWO prize packs for two lucky folks to win! There are TONS of ways to enter (see below) and get yourself in!

While you're waiting though, you can still celebrate my birthday by getting yourself a sweet discount at Sparkly Soul -- because they're awesome like that and want to help me celebrate too! Use code MEGANSPARKLES for 15% off any individual headbands (not packs, sadly) through October 8. You're welcome. :)

Giveaway runs through 11:59 pm PST, October 8, 2015. Two prize packs will be created from the above list, with approximate value equal between the two. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What was the best birthday present you've ever received?

30 Lessons for 30 Years

I’m almost 30 – give me two days and I’ll say I am. I think I freaked out about this for a hot second, but really, it’s like, Alright, new decade. Time to get my life together and conquer what I want! I’ve got my eye on 18 different prizes and I feel like this is the time to start making things happen.

So here it is. 30 life lessons I’ve learned, primarily in the last seven years since stepping out into the "real world" post-grad school, and things I want to use to continue propelling myself forward as I tackle a new decade with these goals, plans, and dreams in mind.

1.      Own your mistakes. 

2.     Take care of your body.

3.     Take care of your mental health, too.

4.     Be present.

5.     People cannot read your mind.

6.     Give back.

7.       Keep your word. Do what you say you will.
8.       Travel. Go where you please!
9.       There’s something about turning pages of a book.
10.   Put down your phone.
11.   Set goals. Meet them.
12.   A rainy day fund isn’t just a suggestion.

13. Try new things.
14.   Do sometime that scares you regularly.
15.   Never stop learning.
16.   You don’t have to be friends forever and that’s okay.
17.   But hold on to the good ones.
18.   It’s okay to change your life plan.
19.   Go outside your comfort zone.

20. Sarcasm isn't always the answer.
21.   Criticism isn’t always bad.
22.   Live somewhere else.
23.   It’s okay to ask for help.
24.   Apologize when you should.
25.   Stand up for yourself.
26.   Find your thing- that thing that gets you fired up, excited, and inspired. 
27.   Indulging is okay! Treat yourself.
28.   Find a mentor in your field.
29.   Say thank you.
30.   Be kind.

I'll take a cupcake from you if you've got one!

What other wisdom do you have for someone wrapping up their 20s? 

Weekend Wrap Up

Yawwwwn. It’s only Monday? This weekend was ridiculously fabulously awesome, but man… having a life and having fun is TIRING, yo!

Friday night, of course, is football night, and I headed out with Doug’s mom to their homecoming game on Friday evening. Not the outcome hoped for, so boo to that, but it was a beautiful night out and made it feel like it actually hadn’t been 100+ outside earlier in the day.

Saturday morning I was back at run club after missing last week due to work. We had an awesome 6 mile run at race pace planned but Jacky and Monica were planning on more (because they’re both about to rock some fulls in a few weeks), so after they all came back, we went out for 4.5 more to round up to 10.5 (in my case). I needed to get in the direction of home, so I planned on doing 2.6 more at home on the treadmill to get to 13.1 ‘caus why not? And then discovered that the fans in the gym didn’t work and it was already 90+ outside, so there was no way that was about to happen. Nuh-uh. I was a little bummed, but took it as a sign to get home and chill for a bit before I headed out with my mom and sister to get wedding-ready!

My sister came in to town just Thursday evening and was only here until Sunday morning, so I'm glad I got some extra time with her over manis & pedis - plus I'm the one that picked her up from the airport since I couldn't take Friday off to go kayaking with her and my parents. Womp! 

We clean up pretty good.

A long-time family friend got married Saturday evening – by long-time, I mean my mom grew up with her mom in the LA Hungarian circle, so this was much a reunion for folks I hadn’t seen in a LONG time! Doug got to meet a whole bunch of folks who he had met once like two years ago, but it was a great night of celebrating, seeing old friends and of course, wine. Doug and I had been up and going since 6:30 am, so getting back from Malibu at 1 am was beyond exhausting…

Family selfie!

My sister & I with the gorgeous bride. <3

… so sleeping in until 9:30 am on Sunday was DELIGHTFUL. So very needed. I felt a little guilty not getting up and getting my run in (goals to meet, people!) but sometimes… it’s just needed. We headed out for lunch with my grandma and uncle who just got back from their two-week trip to Italy, so we finally got to hear all about it!

And from there, naturally, we didn’t stop, but headed down to Carson to get to the second to last Galaxy game of the season! Doug is now good luck, as they’ve always won when he’s gone, and as the Galaxy are tied for second and only one point behind first, we needed it! 3-2 win, for the books – you bet I’m dragging him to the last home game in a few weeks!

Galaxy win, woot!

And finally home again for some last-minute weekend work, and crashed hard at 11 pm. Ugh, Monday. You can always expect they’re going to suck… and they generally do. But it’s the first Monday of the first full week of classes on campus, so there’s a new kind of buzz going around too and I like it! Happy Monday – going to make it a good one and I hope you do, too!

I hope to make someone’s Monday by finally announcing the winner of the Tiux giveaway from a few weeks back after Ventura! Congratulations to

Aileen, you've been emailed and have until Thursday, October 1 to claim your prize! Congratulations!

How was your weekend?