On this - the eve of my 31st birthday - I would like to take a minute and celebrate 31 things im thankful for. These are not the only things I'm thankful for - and they arent listed in any particular order - but they are really important to me, and deserve to be credited with a list :)
1. Running
I'm in love with the sport and all of its challenges. Have you ever gone for a run after a 2-3 week hiatus? Brutal! The ultimate calorie burner has given me some amazing friendships, memories and training opportunities, reasons to binge on ice cream cake, ways to meet boys and to prove myself worthy of the sports ultimate unicorn - the Boston Marathon!
2. Coffee
ALL.THE.TIME - not always Starbucks, but always black. (Dunkin, how have you managed to mess that up every time I ordered from you?! Is it because you know I am not really a fan and only come when I am desperate?)
3. PT
Being a distance runner means accepting a whole host of nagging issues. Learning how to fix them? Priceless. Massages & stim don't suck either - thanks boys!
4. Writing
Whether at work, on the blog or as a caption for insta photos - words are my drug of choice. Well, words and running.
5-15. Coffee
Like I said, ALL.THE.TIME
16. Lululemon
Noone ever needed an explanation for Lulu.
17. Friends
The running kind and the we-are-real-people kind - and those that are both!
18. Family
Cause, DUH.
19. I should probably mention popcorn. And apples. I eat both the way some women eat chocolate.
20. Runners World magazine
I am so thankful for the 2-year sub my bro got me last year - getting my nose stuck in the pages of RW is my happy place when I'm stuck on the elliptical!
21. Neon
Neon compression socks, sports bras, shoes and bracelets. Neon shorts, shirts and watches. NEON!
22. Laughing
There are a million reasons to laugh everyday - make sure to find at least one :)
23. A good cuddle
Been a while - no crushes. Step it up boys!
24-31. Coffee
The funniest thing is I really don't drink that much coffee. Max 2 cups/day. Its just THE thing thats clutch everyday. Living is NYC can sometimes feel so goddamn uptight - coffee makes me happy.
The takeaways? I love coffee, running, neon-colored anything, my friends & family, snacks and laughing. Im simple and easy to please - and I like it that way. Cheers to life - and all its incredibly funny, chaotic, happy, sad and stressful moments. They are all worth it.
Friday, November 14, 2014
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
be in love with your life - every minute of it
last weekend was that time of year we "fall back" - which basically just means it now gets dark at 4pm - and i feel like ive been up half the night by the time 7pm rolls around.
but this time of year really is one of my favorites. there is the feeling of magic in the air around the holiday - it actually feels warm and cozy!
there are about 50 days left in 2014 - and aside from a really annoying, sometimes achingly painful left calf muscle, those 50 days should be great! im lucky enough to see DK at least twice, one of those times being a race in Kiawah! there is nothing better than earning sibling race medals! I am signed up for the full marathon so that calf muscle I was talking about REALLY needs to right itself.
31 hits me on Saturday - I'll be doing yoga with my mom and then going shopping - seems like the perfect way to casually ring in a new year. a little namaste and a new pair of nike something - I'd say that describes me pretty well!
I don't really make longstanding wishes or hopes these days - im too busy trying to go after my dreams - and God already knows I want to be wealthier, skinnier, a tiny bit taller and in love. WITH HEALTHY RUNNING MUSCLES FOR GOODNESS SAKES! I pray to my dad for some of these things (no pressure dad!!) but also just try and focus on everyone's overall health and happiness and the ability to always find humor in life. after all, that's what really matters.
touching ever so slightly on the love part - how we doing with that?! hey God and dad - you guys shooting a cupids arrow at someone or...?? just kidding, im in love with coffee - and were very happy!
while I mentioned before that the holiday season - the white lights and beautiful music - is one of my favorite times of the year, it's equally one of the hardest. I miss not being able to give my dad the girliest, most ostentatious cards for the holidays - cards he happily saved and kept stocked away, or being able to go for a run together - me always falling back and needing him to push me (and im a 3:23 marathoner!). I miss talking boys with him, throwing all my ailments at him and having him make sense of it all (no google needed), or just staying up late and laughing over ice cream. I miss the big stuff too, of course - the help with life decisions, money talk and body hang ups (amazingly he had none and helped me realize I'm simply beautiful the way I am). the guy never lost his patience with me - and always made me laugh. he never faltered in his belief that I would grow up to do amazing things - all things I desperately miss. as I write all this down though, and my head and heart fill with equal parts joy and sadness, im reminded that my dad is with me - and always will be. my biggest goal in life has always been to grow up and make my dad, mom and brother proud. the beauty of the legacy my dad left is that I never have to worry if I succeeded - even if/when I faltered he made sure to tell me he was proud. "it's not always about the outcome, hil" he would say "sometimes things just don't go your way. but it is always about how hard you tried. and you - I don't worry about you. but I'm always here if YOU start to worry."
im cheersing the closing of 2014 - with my grande bold starbucks coffee in hand - by ringing in 31, running one more marathon, hanging with the big bro and creating about a million or so more memories.
and cheers to you dad, you deserve it!! xo
but this time of year really is one of my favorites. there is the feeling of magic in the air around the holiday - it actually feels warm and cozy!
there are about 50 days left in 2014 - and aside from a really annoying, sometimes achingly painful left calf muscle, those 50 days should be great! im lucky enough to see DK at least twice, one of those times being a race in Kiawah! there is nothing better than earning sibling race medals! I am signed up for the full marathon so that calf muscle I was talking about REALLY needs to right itself.
31 hits me on Saturday - I'll be doing yoga with my mom and then going shopping - seems like the perfect way to casually ring in a new year. a little namaste and a new pair of nike something - I'd say that describes me pretty well!
I don't really make longstanding wishes or hopes these days - im too busy trying to go after my dreams - and God already knows I want to be wealthier, skinnier, a tiny bit taller and in love. WITH HEALTHY RUNNING MUSCLES FOR GOODNESS SAKES! I pray to my dad for some of these things (no pressure dad!!) but also just try and focus on everyone's overall health and happiness and the ability to always find humor in life. after all, that's what really matters.
touching ever so slightly on the love part - how we doing with that?! hey God and dad - you guys shooting a cupids arrow at someone or...?? just kidding, im in love with coffee - and were very happy!
while I mentioned before that the holiday season - the white lights and beautiful music - is one of my favorite times of the year, it's equally one of the hardest. I miss not being able to give my dad the girliest, most ostentatious cards for the holidays - cards he happily saved and kept stocked away, or being able to go for a run together - me always falling back and needing him to push me (and im a 3:23 marathoner!). I miss talking boys with him, throwing all my ailments at him and having him make sense of it all (no google needed), or just staying up late and laughing over ice cream. I miss the big stuff too, of course - the help with life decisions, money talk and body hang ups (amazingly he had none and helped me realize I'm simply beautiful the way I am). the guy never lost his patience with me - and always made me laugh. he never faltered in his belief that I would grow up to do amazing things - all things I desperately miss. as I write all this down though, and my head and heart fill with equal parts joy and sadness, im reminded that my dad is with me - and always will be. my biggest goal in life has always been to grow up and make my dad, mom and brother proud. the beauty of the legacy my dad left is that I never have to worry if I succeeded - even if/when I faltered he made sure to tell me he was proud. "it's not always about the outcome, hil" he would say "sometimes things just don't go your way. but it is always about how hard you tried. and you - I don't worry about you. but I'm always here if YOU start to worry."
im cheersing the closing of 2014 - with my grande bold starbucks coffee in hand - by ringing in 31, running one more marathon, hanging with the big bro and creating about a million or so more memories.
and cheers to you dad, you deserve it!! xo
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
just about 31
i am 15 days away from turning 31. lets reflect, shall we...
its been another hell of a year traveling all over the US with nic to run races & cheers life! over the past 12 months we've battled twinges & mild injuries, celebrated new PRs, gotten much better at yoga (all while seeing and smelling things we should never have had to - im looking at you, dude who couldn't seem to keep his pants up in bikram), and just so much more!
as i reflect back on the past year, i realize that life is funny - and figuring out my path and place is a continuous challenge. as i turn another year older i notice small changes in myself and the way i live. it's in my DNA to always think I can do better, push further, achieve more, but i've noticed that i truly believe that "me" - who i am, what i stand for, my character and all of my achievements - is good enough.
not every run will be a PR, not every boy i meet will want to fall in love with me and not every interview will end with a job offer. i've always pushed myself really hard to achieve things because i come from an amazing family and i want nothing more than for them to be proud of me.w hat i have come to realize is they love me and are proud because of who i am; job, status, money, notwithstanding.
it's the same with my running crew - even during a 4 month hiatus from running due to a stress fracture, we remained friends. close friends. best friends. turns out running is a bonus quality we all share, a fun and healthy obsession that gives us excuses to travel and never change out of dri-fit, but not THE reason.
do i wish i was 1-2 inches taller? sure. do i wish i was richer? definitely. fundamentally though, neither will make me a better person. i train hard, work hard and aim high. my friends, family and i - we are always going to be ok - because we're fighters.
so here we are at 31. completing my first year in my 30s feels exciting - i feel strong, healthy, happy, settled.
life is challenging - and it always will be. but 3 marathons deep, with 2 more on the near horizon leads me to believe that i have surrounded myself with some good, crazy people. cheers to the next 31 and beyond!!
now, for a look back at some fun memories...
cheersing my new apartment! and laughing at the fact that we have a race in the AM!
yea, i dont know, i need to work on flexing. nic nailed it.
meet my boyfriend, nick.
running the chicago marathon together! #matchymatchy
running ragnar DC - 10 miles in the middle of the night, baby!
its been another hell of a year traveling all over the US with nic to run races & cheers life! over the past 12 months we've battled twinges & mild injuries, celebrated new PRs, gotten much better at yoga (all while seeing and smelling things we should never have had to - im looking at you, dude who couldn't seem to keep his pants up in bikram), and just so much more!
as i reflect back on the past year, i realize that life is funny - and figuring out my path and place is a continuous challenge. as i turn another year older i notice small changes in myself and the way i live. it's in my DNA to always think I can do better, push further, achieve more, but i've noticed that i truly believe that "me" - who i am, what i stand for, my character and all of my achievements - is good enough.
not every run will be a PR, not every boy i meet will want to fall in love with me and not every interview will end with a job offer. i've always pushed myself really hard to achieve things because i come from an amazing family and i want nothing more than for them to be proud of me.w hat i have come to realize is they love me and are proud because of who i am; job, status, money, notwithstanding.
it's the same with my running crew - even during a 4 month hiatus from running due to a stress fracture, we remained friends. close friends. best friends. turns out running is a bonus quality we all share, a fun and healthy obsession that gives us excuses to travel and never change out of dri-fit, but not THE reason.
do i wish i was 1-2 inches taller? sure. do i wish i was richer? definitely. fundamentally though, neither will make me a better person. i train hard, work hard and aim high. my friends, family and i - we are always going to be ok - because we're fighters.
so here we are at 31. completing my first year in my 30s feels exciting - i feel strong, healthy, happy, settled.
life is challenging - and it always will be. but 3 marathons deep, with 2 more on the near horizon leads me to believe that i have surrounded myself with some good, crazy people. cheers to the next 31 and beyond!!
now, for a look back at some fun memories...
cheersing my new apartment! and laughing at the fact that we have a race in the AM!
yea, i dont know, i need to work on flexing. nic nailed it.
meet my boyfriend, nick.
running the chicago marathon together! #matchymatchy
running ragnar DC - 10 miles in the middle of the night, baby!
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