Friday, November 14, 2014

turning 31 is just the beginning

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. 




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