From 2017 to 2018, Just Show Up

This year has been a blur in many ways.  Heck, the last four months have been a blur and it really wasn’t until Tuesday while in line at In ‘N Out that 2017 started to soak in.  Typically my strokes of brilliance strike when I’m running, in the shower, or driving for long stretches of time but I guess waiting for food works too.   First tangent (or as my Dad corrected me, “vector”…but that’s a conversation for another day and I’m going to continue to use “tangent”) is that despite being back for 4 months, this was the first time having In ‘N Out and I wasn’t super super impressed.  Does that make me a bad Californian?

Anyways, back to 2017.  I’m a very Type-A person that loves lists, but hates to assign big goals for fear that I won’t accomplish them and be considered a failure. Well, after following a few bloggers that I respect, I decided to take the plunge and list some things out.  Last year I was super inspired by this NPer’s post in 2016 and tried to mirror some of it.  Ok, some of it is directly taken from her but imitation is the sincerest form of flattery right?

>> Focus on the present more, worry about the future less ~ make more eye contact and look at your phone less ~ chill more, stress less ~ listen more, talk less ~ accumulate less material things and take on more experiences ~ play big ~ be more YOU ~ say yes to more opportunities and worry less about outcomes << 

Then I caved and made a few concrete list items because well, Type-A:

• Learn to run for fun (while also attempting to reduce the amount of #RBF)
• Volunteer or spend more time with what you are passionate about
• Work hard and stay humble
• Run marathon #2
• Find a new job
• Relocate to California
• Watch the Boston Marathon (again)
• Travel more
• Do the work

If I list it out by the numbers and scroll through my pictures (<< because content everything) or attempt to piece it together through my sporadic blog posts, I think the last 12 months were a smashing success.

~ November Project NYC and BRTC (bEAST river track club) workouts in rain, snow, and sunshine ~ celebrating Chinese New Year ~ snow days and almost getting stuck in a snowpocalypse (I’ve had my fill of snow for awhile…) ~ training for marathon #2 in the dead of winter ~ bagel sandwiches for days ~ Nashville for Lindsay’s birthday ~ #runtoeat and city explorations ~ quick trip to Philly for a half ~ running the streets of Paris with Maura (then making a pact we wouldn’t sign up for another for some time) ~ watching the Boston Marathon for the 2nd time in person ~

~ Gallivanting around Central Park for my 26th birthday with my favorite people and following it up with too much rose in a dog-friendly bar ~ agreeing to run 21 miles in the Cape Cod Ragnar ~ November Project Summit in Boston MA + family visit to NYC ~ Macy’s 4th of July fireworks ~ girl’s trip to the swampland of Washington D.C. ~ saying so long to the Big Apple and hello to the city of stars ~ participating in Questival (24 hour scavenger hunt) ~ long runs with Republic ~ Hiking our way through Peru ~ Watch the Dodgers get SO close to winning the World Series ~ Exploring Los Angeles and making new friends with November Project Los Angeles ~ Quick trip to San Francisco for the North Face Endurance Challenge ~

2017 By the Numbers
25 books (or 26 if I finish another one this weekend…)
8+ unique travel destinations
1 new job
8 running races (+ a couple relays)
1 fresh half marathon PR
Endless experiences

Now for 2018.  Just Show Up. 

The phrase “Just Show Up” has a special place in my heart and life.  Sure, for those of you who have been to November Project, the phrase is practically the face of the movement.  People get scared off and think that they have to be in tip-top shape but that’s SO not the case.  It is a free fitness group that welcomes people in of all fitness levels and builds a community in a hustle and bustle world that so often leaves people isolated or high and dry.  If anything, what do you have to lose?  So just.show.up.

But beyond showing up to a workout, the phrase reminds me to show up in life.  Be the best person I can be.  Be kind.  Reach out and ask if people need help.  Ask for help when needed (something I am NOT good at).  Be present and so on.  Some of the below are recycled from 2017 but hey, if they are that good, why remove them?  Plus, I still have eons to learn.

• Say yes to more opportunities, worry less about the outcome
• Be bold, fear less
• Ask for help (something I need to learn how to do)
• Yoga + strength 1x per week
• Eat more greens, eat less sweets
• Channel optimism/excitement over regret/fear
• Focus on eye contact and less on screen time
• Travel more
• Spend more time with people and less time on your phone
• Explore your surroundings (#LAdventures)
• Think outside the box #plancoolshit (pardon my French…swear less shoooould be on the list…)
• Be unapologetically you
• Just Show Up

Fitness wise, I’m really going to hone in on this November Project community.  Sure I want to sit down and brainstorm some goals for the Los Angeles tribe but today I’m going to do something I’ve never done before – write out my personal fitness goals for the world wide web to see.  Actually, my fellow co-leader already did that in a  goals-oriented post last week but I’ve re-written them on my race page and will probably post them for myself on the wall next to my bed.

Oh and there’s something special on the calendar for next year – the Chicago Marathon.  Even though I wasn’t lucky enough to be selected in the lottery, I had my heart on the race and opted to fundraise for a charity called Marley’s Mutts.  This is a non-profit that rescues and rehabilitates death row dogs from Kern County’s high-kill animal shelters.   I will be fundraising over the next 9 or so months and would love your support if you are so inclined to donate (Marley’s Mutt’s Chicago Team Page Here).  Additionally, if the timing with work and November Project work out, I will try to document the journey like I did with my 2016 NYCM.  Buuuut, that’s a few months away and a million memories to create in between.

So there you have it.  I kept my promise to myself to recap 2017 and set out some goals for 2018.  I’ve been riding the high of the last three months – a new job, meeting so many amazing people, exploring new locations and enjoying the daily variety of workouts.  Alright 2018, let’s make this year/life great and #JUSTSHOWUP.

“Life is what you make it. Always has been, always will be.”  ― Eleanor Roosevelt

Running the Cape ~ Ragnar Cape Cod

So, Ragnar Relay Cape Cod.  Where do I even begin?  The fact that I ate more bread in a four-hour period than I had in two weeks (I’m talking heavenly delicious blueberry granola bread from When Pigs Fly)?  Or that I got a total of 3 hours’ max of restless sleep?  Or that I had three of the hardest runs in my life (or last four years) and pretty much was crying on leg #3, my second 9.6 trek? Or that I had an absolute blast and couldn’t stop laughing the entire trip?

Yeah, I don’t know where to begin either so let’s just start at the beginning.  As I mentioned last Friday, I had completed a few of these Ragnar Relays in the past.  As a matter of fact, I completed the Wasatch Back Relay, which was the inaugural Ragnar (it started back in 2003).  When you tell someone that you are voluntarily paying to run between 15-22 miles and sit in a car for 24+ hours, they will probably think you are insane. I tried again and again to explain what would happen and why it was fun but it turns out you can’t comprehend what will go down on one of these trips – no matter how many posts and articles you read – until you have completed one.

(Source)

Life of Late ~ 5.12.17

As you read this I will be en route to start my 5th (or 6th since I can’t really remember) Ragnar Relay.  Back in high school and college I ran the annual Wasatch Back Relay with some friends in Utah.  Since that particular race happens in June, it was always a “fun” way to wrap up the school year.  I put that in quotes because most people would 1) call that insane and 2) it really is somewhat of a 24 hour suffer-fest.  My coworkers actually have started to just assume every PTO day I take or “vacation” is running related.  So far this year they aren’t wrong. 

Anyways, being a runner, I forgot what the pain was like and decided to do it again.  This time around has been a bit more intense since I’m actually helping the captains get ready for the race and let’s just say the universe was very against us running.  Between finding an additional 7 runners, runners dropping due to injury (total of 4 runners dropped), issues with driving insurance, and more injury, it’s been a fun time.  I don’t start until later this afternoon and then I will embark on a total of 22 miles (9 + 3 + 9).  Now if I don’t get kicked off the finish line (there’s a slight chance we may not make it based on timing…) it’ll be a grand success.  I’ll have to check back in next week to let you know the result.

As for now, sit back and enjoy this week’s edition of Life of Late.

Year 3 In New York City

Another post that’s better late than never.  The past year was spent traveling, running, and exploring all of New York – sounds a lot like year #1 and #2, right?  To be honest, there wasn’t too much change.  I continued to work for an awesome company, expanded my friendships within November Project, and squeezed as much out of my free time as possible.  As I mentioned on the 31st, I learned a little bit more about myself, appreciated my body thanks to the I Run This Body movement, and learned when to let go.  This last bit was tough in the sense of FOMO and friendships, but I realized (through many discussions and Elite Daily articles) that we can’t do it all and there comes a time in our lives that makes us realize what and who is important.

But here’s a look at what made my third year in New York City so wonderful and memorable.

Life of Late ~ 6.3.16

Friday. Four day week.  June 3rd.  Better yet…NATIONAL DONUT DAY!  Now even though I have a sweet tooth, I’m not always the biggest donut fan.  If it were a showdown between Dunkin Donuts and Baskin Robbin’s ice cream, obviously a scoop of ice cream would win.  Though I am a sucker for food holidays and November Project was located near a donut joint (Underwest) so I indulged.  The verdict?  Very pleasantly surprised and actually satisfied with my choice.

There are a few parts to this success.  First – purchase donut from the source.  None of this donuts from Whole Foods or even donuts to go.   Second – partner up with someone so that you can sample multiple flavors.   This is a #runtoeat and #eattorun sort of deal so we can’t go donut crazy and eat 1 of each flavor (cue sugar crash at work and hello witchy Kaitlin), but splitting them is definitely a viable solution.  Thank you Rebecca for being my donut buddy 🙂

Underwest Donuts
638 W 47th St, New York, NY 10036
(Fun fact: this is located on the west side IN a car wash…yes it’s sanitary)

^^ Located right next to this big ‘ol boat named the Intrepid (location of today’s NP_NYC workout)

As I predicted, we have gotten into full swing of upfront season at work.  For those who don’t know what that is, it’s a time in ad sales where the publisher (where ads run) negotiates with agencies (who work for clients like State Farm and Geico and such) on prices and how much they are going to spend and where their ads are going to run.  This means we wait after work for them to come back with their best deals and then we revise our options and submit proposals.  It’s a lot of back and forth and some long nights but boy am I learning a ton.  I also happen to be on a solid team where my Account Executive and Associate Account Executive are super helpful and are genuinely interested in helping me learn.  Plus the company feeds us.

So my life goes back to the balance of working and working out – a combination that I am quite ok with.  Yes, there are 100% days that I would like to sleep in but then I see the sky look like this and am always happy I made it out.  The one recent instance where I wish I hadn’t worked out was yoga  yesterday.  Stretching = good.  Bad teacher = bad practice.  My friend Jackie and I arrived for our favorite class and soon learned that 1) water was shut off at this particular location (no showers no toilets) and 2) our favorite teacher was NOT teaching there anymore.  We stuck it out but when the OM at the beginning of class sounded like a capella group out of tune, my immediate reaction was “ah hell no”.  I stayed the entire class but it did nothing for me.

^^ Tested out a couple of classes via ClassPass and totally LOVED Throwback Fitness.  One of the gals I met at 24 Hour Fitness back in the day has been working out here at least 1x if not 2x every day and is obsessed.  I had been meaning to try it but didn’t want to interfere with training for Brooklyn.  Ha – as if I was really trying hard to train.  Best described below:

“We are gamifying fitness by harnessing the feelings of accomplishment, confidence, and camaraderie that come from being part of a team, and the excitement felt when working together to achieve a common goal. Our‘murderously fun’ workouts channel the nostalgia of adolescence by modeling our unique, competitive, partner- and team-based workouts after such childhood favorites as Dodgeball and Capture the Flag, or even dorm room-inspired games like Flip Cup.” (source)

So how fun does that sound?  Test it out, see how much fun you have and then BOOK A BIRTHDAY PARTY! That’s right.  How totally cool is that?  You can have your birthday at a fun workout class.  Because birthday parties are no longer for those under the age of 8.

^^ Another class that I took was a hip-hop class at Y7 – another successful discovery.  I had taken it the Sunday after Brooklyn and entered the class with practically no flexibility and all the aches and pains.  I wasn’t so good at the “flow on your own” parts but did leave limber and ever so sweaty.

I’m really going to have to kick up my yoga game soon.  Maybe I’ll make it a part of my two-a-day program when marathon training starts.  A little cardio/strength in the morning and some yoga stretching at night.  Solid schedule don’t you think?  Still have to test out the beloved Bethany at Lyon’s Den that Ali keeps talking about.

Reading >> The Lake House by Kate Morton

Watching >> The Barkely Marathon phenomenon/obsession via Netflix & Great Big Story ~ “The Man Behind The Most Grueling Footrace on Earth”

Salivating over >> Bondi Harvest ~ New Aussie restaurant in Santa Monica (+ amazing recipes here)

Cleaning >> My room and closet all.the.time.  I don’t have to move apartments for another couple of months but want to have as little excess as possible.  Seeing that I am either at work or on the go, I don’t need too much, right?

Drinking >> Iced coffee.  Starbucks is even coming out with new options like sweet cream cold brew and nitro cold brew!

Hoping >> To find Hamilton tickets.  I know they are hard to come by so don’t burst my bubble.  I’m hoping that I can find a loophole somewhere or that people don’t try as hard when the original cast moves on…

Baking / Experimenting >> With BERRIES. ALL THE BERRIES!  And this nut butter zucchini brownie recipe.

^^ Round #2 of single serving strawberry shortcake (homemade shortcake by the way…just call me Betty or Martha).  Second time was definitely the charm.

PureWow ~ “The Best Burgers in NYC” ~ This is no time to be vegetarian or vegan.  Let the games begin.

The Muse ~ “Sheryl Sandberg Opens Up and Reminds Everyone About the Power of Resilience“

Meter Tracksmith ~ “No Rest for the Weary” ~ aka Badass.

PureWow ~ “11 Iconic Summer Moments” ~ GOING TO JERSEY FOR A POOL! Hope you are reading this my Jersey friends because it’s happening.

Shine.com ~ Daily Texts for self-fulfillment.  No really – if you sign up, you will get daily texts and gifs to make your day so much better.

“Being Your True Self: Does Authenticity Matter in the Workplace?” ~ An interesting thought.  There are too many articles that look at millennials in a bad way, but there may be something to this.

Weekend wise, we’ve got some rain in the forecast (yay summer storms), I’ve got a bike ride and festive outdoor fete, some running to Central Park to cheer the runners at the Retro 4M and the viewing of Me Before You.  Let the games begin!

What are you up to this weekend? Are you a donut fan?

MDW ’16 in Review ~ New York Staycation

Ah Memorial Day Weekend.  It’s a relatively jam-packed with activities and of course holds a couple of meanings  The main purpose of the day, one that used to be known as Decoration Day, is to pay tribute to all the men and women who have died in military service for the United States.  To all of you, thank you.

This day and ultimately weekend also serves as the start to summer, the beginning of beach days, and historically in the fashion world – the “ok” to wear white.  Now that last point has sort of gone out the window and you can see women wearing it all points of the year, especially in Southern California where the seasons fluctuate between summer and mild summer with maybe some 50’s thrown in there.

Memorial Day Weekend is one holiday weekend that I never really have had solid plans for.  Growing up we would have a fun run on Monday or possibly go up to Mammoth Mountain.  I have been to the Jersey Shore for a few days and even a trip to go white-water rafting.

I can look at this last weekend in one of two ways.  One – I didn’t get my act together to plan a trip or full weekend excursion or two – I worked on creating some open ended plans that would allow me to relax a bit and not go into some busy weeks at work completely exhausted.  Let’s go with the latter.

^^ Remember when I mentioned that I loved Westville’s salad so much?  Yeah well when I was given the ok to leave work on Friday, I decided to go back down to 18th street, have a solo salad and then make my way back to Central Park to meet up with Lindsay and a few of her friends for a bit.  It was amazing to see how many people were out in Sheep’s Meadow.  While the heat did get a bit bothersome at times, if you stayed in the shade it was absolutely lovely.

From the park, Lindsay and I made our way to CitiField where we were able to watch our Los Angeles boys in blue take on the Mets!  It may not have been the best start for the Dodgers as they were down 5-1 by the 8th inning.  Lindsay and I thought they were out for the count and had started to make our way back to the city on the 7 train when I got a text from my mom saying the following “Dad hopes that you are still watching the game since it’s tied 5-5.”  Well if that’s not a guilt trip…Just kidding.

There were a ton of people on the train and we were all kicking ourselves in the pants.  I just claimed that we were typical LA fans – arrive late and leave early.  The real excitement was Saturday when Chase Utley hit a grand slam for the Dodger win!

Saturday I decided to give myself the day off from working out and instead Lindsay and I got up early to hit the beach.  We left the apartment around 8:30, picked up some snacks and caffeinated beverages at Starbucks and were on the sand by 11:30.  Now that it’s beach season, the LIRR (Long Island Rail Road) has various beach deals including one to Long Beach – $23 round trip fare and access to the beach (normally $15).  I guess they charge at most beaches in order to maintain the classiness or cleanliness.  Either way, it does make for a better experience, especially if you make it a full day.

We may have been overeager on the sun and less than smart on the sunscreen.  I had thought it would be easy to spray myself periodically with the spray bottle but apparently that was not enough.  When I got home it looked like I wore some fancy schmancy suit that had cut-outs on the sides.  Let’s be clear that I did not wear that.  So from 7pm onward I sat and applied aloe, ate Bareburger and watched Disney Channel movies from the 100th episode celebration.  Adulting at its finest.

^^ Sunday started with my last ClassPass class at KORE.  We worked for about 45 minutes with kettle bells, TRX ropes, and our own body weight.  The music was good, the bathrooms were fancy, and the lighting was a bit too much disco-esque.  I didn’t feel it too much right after the class but boy did I feel the burn the next morning.

Once finished, I hopped back on a Citi bike, prepped breakfast for the week and got ready for day #2 of the beach.  This time we were keeping it cheap and taking the A train out to Rockaways.  Turns out we went to the surfing spot, which doesn’t exactly allow for swimming.  Good to know.

Once we got past the loud family and two parties playing loud music (really people, is that necessary?  How about listening to the ocean waves), everything was just fine.  I had brought my second book – The Lake House by Kate Morton – and alternated between reading and napping and glaring at our neighbors.  We actually didn’t even make it into the water because an odd fog started to roll in and we took our cue to depart.

To be 100% honest – the beaches are nothing like those in California.  I grew up going to Laguna Beach and there seriously is nothing better – the waves, the color of the ocean – the cleanliness (on most…).  That or Hawaii but we can’t all have Hawaii all the time.  It is sort of hard to trek all the way out with all your goods, but that’s part of growing up and exploring new areas.  Maybe I’ll stumble across a few other beaches this summer and make a list of pros/cons.

I’d like to say we went home and got dressed to go party but that would be a lie.  I sat right down and applied aloe and watched some excellent Disney films.  1) Johnny Tsunami, 2) ZENON and then 3) Teen Beach Movie, which seemed like a mash-up of modern day Johnny Tsunami (mostly for the poor kids who will never watch it) and Grease.  I was actually highly satisfied with all three and then got 8+ hours of sleep.  Now that’s an awesome weekend.

Monday Monday Monday.  After waking up to a cool apartment at 8:15am, it was off to the gym for a spin class and barre class.  I was supposed to go biking to a brewery but with 100% chance of showers, that plan was busted.  Once I set off for the gym a funny thing happened.  IT DIDN’T RAIN ALL DAY.  Get that meteorologists.  Anyways, it was probably for the better because I was able to stock up on some cleaning supplies, work through the apartment and get prepped for the week.

I did meet up with my two friends that I was supposed to bike with and we tested out a new brunch spot instead.  I had selected this place (Jane) based on the reviews of the burger and bloody mary.  I did not get the burger and was actually not a fan of the bloody mary but did love the bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich for what it’s worth.

And that folks was a New York staycation.  A bit hap-hazard of a write-up as there was no real itinerary but we made do with our resources and it was one to remember.  Oh and for one little teaser of where I wish I could be – Curacao – with this view.  This is what a couple of my friends have seen for the past week.  Sunsets (NO FILTER) like this on the daily with plenty of sun and perfect surf to go around.

“Enjoy the little things in life because one day you will look back and realize they were the big things” – Robert Brault