Take Two

Man, it's been a while since I've even visited this site, much less posted on it.

There have been changes, to say the least. Friends have changed. Significant others have changed (and for the better). And I'm beginning a new career in a little more than a week.

Writing won't be as big of a part of my life anymore, but hopefully that will mean more blog posts and creative writing for myself, not anyone else.

So sit back, enjoy and enjoy the Journey.

2:20:11

More than three years ago, I started on a journey to run a half marathon. Armed with my friends from work, a new pair of running shoes from a specialty store, and some new workout clothes, I tried to run every day, at least a little bit. This was fall--and at one point, I was up to more than five miles a day. Then the holidays happened. Training went by the wayside.

The next year, around August, I started getting back into it. I suited up, began jogging, and building each week on the week before. I got into soccer, playing in Las Cruces, using it to get my stress out from being in graduate school and serving as a teaching assistant.

On October 22, 2008, I ditched my Wednesday night class (after bribing my TA to count me there by telling him I would attend that week's lab) and I suited up for my soccer game. With 10 minutes left in the game, I went on a break away down the field, stopped, changed directions, and POP, then stars...I knew something was wrong when I couldn't walk or move. All I could do was cry. It was the worst it could be: a torn ACL and Meniscus, and my soccer career was over for the time being--and so was my hopes of running a marathon anytime soon.

I underwent surgery on November 20, 2008, and began physical therapy shortly thereafter. Recovery was slow, and in April the next year, the pain wouldn't go away--it was constant. I received my first Cortizone shot that month, and kept working toward increasing my activity levels. It wasn't until August that I started really feeling like I could get back into my usual routine, joining my friend's boot camp class and playing soccer again. Running wasn't something that I was getting into.

It wasn't until after my degree was finished, my research project turned in, and I was packed and moved 200 miles north to Albuquerque that I realized what I wanted to do and what I wanted to achieve. Not only was losing weight a huge factor for me, so was working toward my original goal of running longer than a 5k.

I started with the Margarita 5k, then went on to the Zoo Run 5k, and finally, ran my first 10k with the Albuquerque Little Theater. Then, I set my sights on the Duke City Half Marathon, and I started building toward it.

The longest run I did before the race was nine miles along the Bosque on a Monday afternoon about three weeks before the race. The next week, I tapered off and was only able to do a 4-mile run and a 2-mile run. I'll admit it: I was nervous to run the race. Even up to the night before, I wasn't sure I could actually do it.

That morning, I woke up, ate a banana, and headed to the start on Civic Plaza. There were so many people! I ran around the plaza, did some warm-up agility drills to get my muscles going, then headed inside to keep warm.

I started the race strong--too strong. I ran at about a 9-minute pace for the first two miles, which would bite me in the ass later in the race. I sailed through the next eight miles, but at mile 10, I hit a wall. I literally didn't know how I was supposed to do the next 3.1 miles. The last two miles were around a 13- or 14-minute pace--awful for me. But, when I came around the corner on the last block, and I saw my friends Jane and Megan standing there, cheering me on, I picked it up and finished strong.

My time was 2:20:11....and I'm so proud to say that I've done a half marathon. What's next? I'm not sure. But guaranteed I'm not done with the challenges...fixed knee or not.

What do you want to do?

I was asked this question tonight by someone that I have the utmost respect for--it came right after this person said, "You have a master's degree in government--why don't you use it?"

It started me thinking. What AM I doing? What do I want to do? Am I content to just work, doing what I know rather than what would challenge me?

Anyway, I've struggled with this for a few months. I'm a little up in the air on all of this. Kinda crazy. Am I wasting it?

Thoughts don't come together as well these days... I need to start writing my thoughts out. Might help make sense of it all.

Settling In

As I woke up this morning to face the day, things seemed a little brighter. Quite literally. I woke up to a blanket of snow on the ground and that sound the winter makes - the sound of complete silence. As I slipped out of the warm confines of my bed, I felt things kind of fall into place. I felt, for the first time in a while, like I belonged somewhere.

When I first moved here, I didn't go through the homesickness - except when I got the call that S didn't want to be with me anymore and he didn't know why. Only then did I really long for my friends, my mom, and a cold beer with the people that could tell me he was a waste of my time.

I thought of him today and how I felt about him. It's sad to look back now and realize we were never quite right for each other. Despite that, I miss the companionship I felt with him, although that feeling came far to late to really make a difference in the relationship.

As I woke up this morning, though, and went through my day, planning my routes and errands to get ready for the biggest trip I will take this year, I felt GOOD being here in this city, whether or not it's 300 miles from home or 1,000. I chatted with someone very important to me from Las Cruces, and though I miss being a daily part of their lives, I realized how much I love getting to meet new people and be a part of something just a little bigger than I've been before. I'm just enjoying what ABQ brings to my life.

So, for now, I'm home. The Duke City is home to me...and it's nice to come back after a break from it, and I'm excited to see what it will bring in the future.

Riding the Waves

In just one short week, me and the Costa Rica Ladies Club will venture to the shores of Jaco Beach (shown in the picture), where we will have fun in the sun, drink till the sun comes up, and watch our fabulous friends, Adam and Kelsey, tie the knot in a sunset ceremony.

Waking up at 5:30 a.m., we will hop on board a U.S. Airways flight to Phoenix at 8:35 a.m., where we will connect to plane heading for San Jose, Costa Rica, about two hours from Jaco. In the capital city, we plan on painting the town to celebrate the beginning of our eight-day vacation... Then on Tuesday, it's off to Jaco--and a whole week of fun!

These ladies are my partners in crime (forgive me for posting a crappy pic--I promise I'm much thinner now!)



What makes me excited about traveling with these lovely ladies is the fact that they are so laid back and are excited about having a nice, relaxing time together! Can't wait for the adventures....stay tuned!

EasyTone

Looking at photos of myself last fall, I was overcome with sadness. I was in a relationship, feeling comfortable, and letting myself fall into a pattern of not going to the gym. My focus was on graduation, moving to a new city, working 35-plus hours, and trying to salvage a relationship that was doomed from the beginning. Needless to say, working out wasn't my main priority. And by the end of the semester, it showed.

My quest to get fit began with a class at CrossFit Albuquerque. I knew I wanted to do something, but wasn't sure that I could afford anything else on my salary. I attended a CrossFitters Anonymous free session, where they taught me the "proper squat" technique, and I was able to get my heart pumping again. By the end, I realized how truly out of shape I was, and I wanted to change it. A friend recruited me for the first CrossFit Boot Camp, which started that Monday, eight weeks ago. It was a bridal boot camp, which didn't bother me much, since I have weddings galore this year.

The week began--and I became pretty familiar with 5 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Day One was pretty simple, to be honest. I was worried that I had wasted the money on the class because it wasn't as hard as what I was used to. The second day tested me a little more, and by the third day, I was sore and really excited to be on the path to getting more fit. The first week really woke me up to what I was eating, which people say is 85 percent of the struggle to weight loss.

The next couple weeks, I replaced regular sugar with Truvia. I went to boot camp diligently, sometimes being the only one besides the instructor. I debated joining CrossFit to take my workout to the next level, but the $150/month price tag was just too much for me to handle. Then, a friend asked me to try L.A. Boxing, a boxing club less than a mile from work that had more than 48 classes a week from which to choose, from MMA Kickboxing, regular kickboxing, regular boxing, conditioning, and a gym within that entity. One class, and I was hooked. I signed up the next week, with a goal of going at least three times a week.

After the final week of boot camp, I felt great. I felt a difference in the way my clothes fit and the way I was feeling, and it has done nothing but carry me on. I haven't weighed myself since the last week of boot camp, but I'm confident it has been a great result. I've stuck with my commitment to go to at least three classes a week, and I've added playing on my soccer team every Sunday. Last week, I worked out six of seven days. This week will be the same. I need to stick with it.

Not only have I done that, I added a stability ball as my chair at work. It forces me to sit up straight and my back strength is SO MUCH better now. On Sunday of this week, I invested in a pair of the Reebok Easy Tone tennis shoes, and the first day I wore them, my booty actually ached at the end!

I leave for Costa Rica in two weeks, and I'm excited that I will feel relatively great in a bathing suit on the beach. Right now, it's been a great journey...

Blessed

Amid some of the negatives in life, sometimes we overlook the positive aspects and forget to say "thanks" to those that have made all the difference. So, to those I haven't acknowledged in my life lately, thank you for being my friends, family, and fabulous. I love you all.

Committed

AS life happens, sometimes writing (for fun) takes a back seat to papers, problems, moving, and other things that get in the way. Last night, I felt relief to know that I'm not the only one.

Last week, someone told me he enjoyed my blog. Someone that I didn't expect told me this. And to be honest with him, and myself, I miss it, too.

Last night, I received inspiration from Elizabeth Gilbert. Listening her talk to her new book, "Committed," not only was I inspired to write for fun, I was inspired in life. Her outlook makes is hard not to.

She talked about her painful divorce and how hard it was to trust another person with her heart again. She quoted Benjamin Franklin, saying, "Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, and half shut after." She talked about how people that marry under the age of 25 have an 85 percent divorce rate. Laughing, she said, "A 22-year-old hasn't been humbled or beaten down enough to handle marriage."

One thing that stood out to me was a question from an audience member about the part in "Committed" where Gilbert sits down and writes down a "seller's disclosure," as she put it. Writing down five faults "speaks to the difference between romance and marriage...strip away all those veils of illusion."

Well here are mine. Thank you, Elizabeth.
1. I'm picky.
2. I'm indecisive.
3. I have an unreasonable addiction to "Grey's Anatomy."
4. I don't always do what I say, but when I mean it, I do it.
5. I have a hard time committing...to a dog, a house, a job, or a relationship. But when I do, I'm there for the long haul.

Sunday Night Blues

There's the feeling again. The one that makes me a little sad to be saying goodnight to my roommates tonight. It's the Sunday night blues, and although I will only have them twice more this summer after tonight, I can't help but feel sad about having to make the trek to work in the morning. The weeks get a little longer every week, and I'm about ready to be back in Las Cruces, working and finishing my degree and staying more busy than I have been.

I miss my stuff and my friends there, although I don't know a lot of what is going on in everyone's lives.

I'm ready to get back and get into my active routine - running and going to the gym - so I can feel a bit better than I do now.

But most of all, I look forward to going back so that I can feel needed again...and so I can avoid the Sunday night blues.

Holy Cow

Per request, here is a post about my experience on the Railrunner:

Working in Santa Fe and living in Albuquerque poses its own unique set of challenges that aren't easily overcome - not knowing which restaurant will take you out back and beat you because of their OUTRAGEOUS prices, for one, or perhaps that your entire office lives here, and you're the odd one out - none of these are exactly easily handled. But one thing I haven't had to worry about is commuting, thanks to Richardson's GENIUS implementation of a mass transit rail system from Belen to Santa Fe and everywhere in between.

The first day I got up and dragged myself to the Los Ranchos/Journal Center rail station, I was as excited as a 5-year-old riding the bus for the first time...not positive on what to expect, but thoroughly enjoying it nonetheless. That first day, I managed to read 130 pages in my first "for fun" book of the summer, solidifying the love I have for mass transit where I don't have to fight my way through traffic, getting to work in a rush and as a big ball of stress. Instead, I could read, sleep, eat, enjoy my coffee and be exposed to the plethora of characters on the train.

The first was Derron, my "train friend," as I call him (although, he has since begun driving because he says it saves him an hour and a half). He was fun to chat with for the first few weeks of my adventure. After a week and a half, we settled into a nice routine of sitting in the exact same car, in roughly the same seats. He would bring the ABQ Journal and after he was done with a section, he would pass it to me. We would sit there, discussing the news of the day or the happenings on the previous night's "So You Think You Can Dance," of which both of us are avid watchers. Now, however, I mostly sleep in the mornings...

The (almost) first is the cute guy from my stop that gets on the same car as me and has these adorable glasses that he wears. But he has sat in the seat across from me and is NOT social in the least, instead sticking his ear buds in his ears and turning up his iPOD Touch. Derron and I had a bet on how old he is...I still haven't asked, but I'm almost positive I'm right (he has to be 23 and immature...what other reason is there for me to be attracted to him?).

One of the more interesting days I've had on the train recently was the time I sat next to a guy on a very full 4:10 p.m. train, looking over at his phone briefly only to read "More spanking, please...grr." Needless to say, I giggled at what he assumed was the book sitting open on my lap. It's amazing the characters you encounter.

Incidents happen often with the train, as well. Most recently, a train I wasn't on (Thank God) collided with a cow (which is a regular occurence) and broke a brake pipe. It had to be fixed and all the passengers were moved to another train. This delayed them two extra hours. A few weeks ago, Derron and I had just boarded the train and sat down when the conductor came on and said we would have to wait because there was a truck stuck on the rail down the road. But later we found out it wasn't just any truck, it was a Brinks security truck full of money... and its blown tire had caused it to roll over the tracks. That day, we boarded the train at 5 p.m. and deboarded at 7:30. It wasn't exactly a nice development...but much better than a derail.

The most recent debate I had about the train ride was whether I should invest in a neck pillow to make my "naps" a little more enjoyable...but I'm afraid a fanny pack will come next...and from experience watching Santa Fe tourists get on and off the train, I will never be that desperate for a hands-free purse option.