“A person should set his goals as early as he can and devote all his energy and talent to getting there. With enough effort, he may achieve it. Or he may find something that is even more rewarding. But in the end, no matter what the outcome, he will know he has been alive.” - Walt Disney

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

V.I.B. - Very Inspiring Blogger!


Imagine my shock when my friend Kim named me as one of her nominees for the award of being a Very Inspiring Blogger!  Thanks Kim!  Make sure you go check out her awesome blog about running/tri's/life in general: TriAndTrue.

The award has three simple rules:

  1. Thank and link back to the person who nominated you.  (see above)
  2. Share 7 things about yourself. (see below)
  3. Nominate 15 other bloggers and comment on their blogs to let them know. (see below)


Seven things about myself:  I wasn't sure what to share, so I did a quick Google search for "random questions to ask people" and came up with these - I hope they're interesting enough!:

  1. What is your favorite time of day/day of the week/month of the year?  I. Love. Christmas.  So December is obviously my favorite month of the year - I love the nip in the air and the (seemingly elusive) chance of snow.  Cookies and cider and treats are shared by all.  Christmas decorations are up, carols are playing, there's a general feeling of goodwill and cheer in the air.  I just love the whole season!
  2. What’s your least favorite mode of transportation?  Driving. I hate it. Especially if I'm the one doing the actual driving, and most especially if the trip is over 3 hours.  I don't mind bus trips because I can move around more than in a car, I'm fascinated by train travel, and I LOVE flying!
  3. Which celebrity do you get mistaken for?  Ummm...I'm not usually mistaken for any celebrities, but there was a time in the late 90's when people thought I looked like Monica Lewinski (gee, great... :-/  )  In fact, I was almost her for Halloween that year - I even had the blue dress, just needed a beret.  LOL.
  4. Have you ever had something happen to you that you thought was bad but it turned out to be for the best?  When I was laid off from my job 5 years ago I thought it was the end of the world.  It turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me because even though that job paid really well I worked insane hours and had absolutely no life!  My "new" job that I got a couple months later is a great fit for me - I'm not paid as much, but I have a much more regular schedule and actually have a life!  I realized not long after starting my current job that there's no way I would have be able to work at the old place and complete my training for that very first half marathon I signed up for - it just never would have happened.  It's amazing where life leads you and the bumpy road it  sometimes takes to get there.
  5. What do you miss most about being a kid?  The lack of responsibility.  Don't get me wrong, being an adult has more than it's fair share of perks, but also those pesky things like a job/mortgage/responsibilities.  I'd like to go back to the days  where you'd have a fun day at school, maybe do a little multiplication table homework, play with friends and family and not have to worry about life.  I miss that simplicity and naivete.
  6. What songs are included on the soundtrack to your life?  There's no way to name them all.  Have you ever seen the musical/movie Brigadoon?  There's a scene near the end where every phrase someone says to the main character reminds him of a song from earlier in the show and he has a little flashback to the song.  My brain is pretty much like that with music.  One word/phrase/line, and all of a sudden I have a song chorusing through my head - and it can be something I heard yesterday or the most random song I haven't heard in years!  Crazy.
  7. What chore do you absolutely hate doing?  The dishes.  If I could pay someone to just come do my dishes every day I'd be in heaven.
Nominations.  15 is a lot!  Anyone mind if I just do 10?:
  1. Aunt on the Run - My BFF Carrie blogs about her life as a runner and aunt to two of the cutest little Texas boys around!
  2. Elbowglitter - My friend Megan blogs about racing and tri training with wisdom and humor! 
  3. Running While Chunky - A fellow Galloway-er, "Chunky Girl" gets real about running while trying to lose weight and being a back-of-the-pack-er.
  4. Running Around the World - Rebecca's husband is stationed in Germany, so she's using the opportunity to take on the challenge of international racing.  I love reading about her adventures!
  5. Diary of a Recovering Clydesdale - This is David's blog (remember him from the Rome marathon video?).  His vision is couch-to-Boston in twelve years or less.
  6. Our Love on the Run - Bethany and Ryan are the cutest couple ever, and they're both amazing runners!
  7. ...Just Me & My Running Shoes... - Karen is a fellow Disney fan, nurse, and runner whose posts are both interesting and insightful.
  8. Eat. Sleep. Run. Disney - Jen posts about Disney, running, and crossfit - I tell you - the woman is a machine!
  9. Running through the Castle - Jennifer blogs about running and tri training, as well as dealing with and recovering from injury.
  10. RunJulesRun - Jules just recently started blogging, but I'm loving what I've seen from her so far.  A great mix of reality and inspiration.  Can't wait to read what she's got next.
I probably doubled up on some people who've already been nominated for this award, but this is a list I like and some of these bloggers may be new to you - I hope you'll go check out their blogs!

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

A Walk in the Park

Whoosh.  It's only Tuesday morning and it's already been a crazy week!  Even though the upcoming holiday means having to cram 5 days of work into 4 in order to meet a looming deadline, I just need to get the work done, because I can't wait for this weekend - I get to visit my family for Easter, catch up with some great old friends, and see Disney in Concert: The Magical Music from the Movies! What a great reward for a very stressful week.  Can't wait! 

I love the trail near our house, but I so often associate it with "having to go for a run" that the opportunity to amble along and take in the atmosphere is a very pleasant change when it happens.  Last night I had a chance to go on a walk with a friend and her dog on the path - it wasn't a run, it wasn't even a super fast walk, just a nice meander down the trail, talking about not much of anything, enjoying the cool crisp air, the waning light, and all the animals (other dogs, squirrels, bunnies, birds and other random animals around the creek) we saw along the way.

What a great way to clear my mind of the stresses of the day and the upcoming week - I was able to put some things behind me and stopped obsessing over my work project for a while - all while getting a little (not a lot) bit of exercise, and taking in some fresh air.  It was a much needed change of pace after my hectic day!