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!