Closing the Gap: February, Where Have you Gone?!

March 5, 2015 4 Comments

Wow, I am late to the party here and SO behind! Between all of the snow, delays, headaches, desperation work outs, canceled races, canceled social events, snow days, Italian meats and wine…it’s been quite the month!

I am happy to report that the sun is shining in Boston and it finally seems like we might be turning a corner from this cold and frigid month. Instead of recapping each and every day, I thought I would do a quick recap:

Early Mornings: wake ups between 4:45am-5:15am. If I get enough sleep I am really a huge fan of the ultra early work outs. Getting some hard workouts in before the work day has been a complete game changer for my mood with this challenging weather we have been having.

Trainer workouts: Embarrassingly, I am finally getting to the trainer workouts of the indoor cycling coaching group I am a part of this winter. I also finally got TrainerRoad up and running and it is absolutely amazing. If you use TR regularly, I would love to talk about it!

Swimming: While I haven’t been swimming as much as I would like due to the weather and canceled practices, I have gotten some really quality sessions in with my masters team. Including several work outs where I have been pacing so magically with one of my friends and I feel as though I have a huge grin plastered on my face all day. It’s hard to put into words how amazing it feels to dig down and swim HARD with so many amazing people.

Running: A few slippery and dicey runs outside, but mostly I have been relegated to the dreadmill. I decided after my back issue in January to work on getting back to running by implementing the Maffatone Method. The Maffatone Method is based on training your aerobic system to reduce likelihood of injury, overtraining and fatigue. In order to achieve this, you need to stay at or below your Maximum Aerobic Function (MAF for short) for your entire run. If you heart rate bumps up above that, time to slow it down or even walk. Yes, training this way is rather painful mentally, but I have taken it as an opportunity to focus on my breathing and just enjoying the run, because I can. For me, I have to keep my HR under 149 at all times, which for many runs has meant running 5.4 max on the treadmill. I have been focusing on this so much that I actually have noticed some very steady improvement, I am now up to 6.0 on the treadmill within my MAF. Dedication pays off!

Pilates: I’ve really been seeing some big results from my pilates classes at btone fitness. Not only do I feel stronger all over, but my right side that was compromised due to my back strain seems to be building back strength quite nicely. I still have some work to do, but it’s been a nice change of pace and a great alternative to strength training which I (shamefully) neglect.

Fun: I’ve been trying to turn things around by trying breaking out of this hibernation rut as much as humanly possible. This includes dinner at one of my favorite restaurants Row 34 with my husband, meeting friends for drinks at the bar around the corner and even just getting out for an ultra snowy walk.

The fun continued while hanging out with my Boston Triathlon Team teammates at our annual Kick Off Party.

I also was able to meet and get dinner with Meghan from Little Girl in the Big World! We met at at Lolita in the Back Bay and we had such a great time talking about work (we both work in the independent school world), life and of course, triathlon. It was great to pick her brain about her first IM experience and how it impacted her significant other, family, friends, work and other things. We had a lot of fun and it honestly felt like I was talking to someone who I have known for years, not just a few minutes.

and lastly, enjoying an awesome art class I organized for my nieces and nephew. Rob and I are really making an effort to try to treat our favorite little munchkins to experiences instead of buying them stuff. Presents are great, but they do not last forever. Memories of great times spent with loved ones do last forever. The kiddos had a great time and I think it was safe to say the adults loved it, too!

Travel: The other big news is that we are less than 2 weeks until we leave for our adventure to London and South Africa! I am beyond excited, but my husband and I are both crazy busy at work so it will be a several longs days before we leave. I’ve been busy over the past month doing last minute research, coordination and high fashion shopping.

Sadly, there have been some devastating wild fires in Cape Town which may impact our plans for outdoor activities, but I have faith we will work everything out. It’s hard to complain about travel plans being impacted when so many people have lost their homes in the region. My thoughts are with the people of Cape Town!

Reading: I am currently reading The Resilience Breakthrough as recommended by Erin. It has been an extremely powerful message at a time when I really need to see negative things as a spring board for change. I highly recommend it for those who might be going through a difficult time, transition or just looking for a new perspective on hardship.

On another note, I am now taking any and all book recommendations as I am hoping to fill up my Kindle before I leave for my trip.

And that is it. February, good riddance! Looking back on it, things don’t really look all that bad 🙂 Obviously March will be an extremely exciting month! Now, we all just have to cross our fingers that some of this snow finally melts. I am proud to say that I have turned my negativity towards the weather around and my outlook is more positive than it was at the beginning of the month. I now laugh at weather reports and I am doing everything in my power to get my workouts in because they make me happy. Bring on MARCH!

How do you stay motivated when weather or an event changes your workout schedule?

2015: Focus, Purpose & Gratitude

January 5, 2015 2 Comments

New Years day. A day to feel instantly renewed and ready to face the brand new year! Well, not so much for me. I sat comatose on the coach for the majority of the day nursing my New Years hangover (insert shame face) and a bad cough I have been trying to kick for two weeks. Throughout the day, I found myself mindlessly scrolling through Facebook and I was struck by the number of my friends who updated their statuses noting how challenging 2014 was and that it also had some exciting and memorable moments. I thought to myself, wow, I’m not alone. 2014 certainly had some high points, but it had a great deal of stress, challenges and sadness. While I celebrate and enjoy the high points, I unfortunately continue to feel overwhelmed by the sadness, illness and struggles of many close friends and family.

As a little break from these challenges, I decided to move on and visit some old photos of fun times

Fun in college with my swimming friends.

My incredible trip to visit my best friend from high school in Panama, who was there for 2.5 years in the Peace Corps.

The beginning of my foray into running and my first marathon in 2008.

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I won’t bore you with my entire digital photography archive from the past 10 years. It made me laugh, smile and also yearn for a period in my life that was in no way free from stress, but my friends all seemed happier and life certainly seemed a bit less complicated.

Life is certainly not a cake walk. I came to the realization, that maybe all of this means I am finally a “grown up”? But, even as an adult do you need to feel overwhelmed by unfortunate and bad things that happen to those around us? I refuse to let this be the case any longer. I want to make a concerted effort to be positive and optimistic each day. With that in mind, my only goals for 2015 are: focus, purpose & gratitude for happiness in 2015.

Focus

Everyone who knows me will not dispute the fact that I am a type A, intense person, for better or for worse. I set the bar very high for myself and I do not stop until I achieve that goal. The last few months of 2014 were a very challenging at work, but also a period of tremendous growth in my professional life that I have craved since graduating from college.

I was so far out of my comfort zone, but I was thriving and happy. I confirmed that I loved my career path, the people I work with, but I was completely spent at the end of each day. Luckily, in 2015 I will welcome a new boss and better work/life balance (fingers crossed). I hope to continue this same focus on my career, but on a manageable scale so I can focus on pursuits equally, career, personal life, training and the list goes on.

Purpose

This goes hand in hand with focus, but I am hoping to be more strategic in all facets of life in 2015: Training, career, personal life, friendships, and hobbies. I am the queen of taking on too much and feeling frazzled and overwhelmed, so I would like to approach things by thinking about how it will impact my schedule, husband and most importantly, my happiness.

My husband constantly reminds me to think about how adding something to my schedule will impact my schedule long term. He also always carefully points out that something will need to come off to make room for the new addition. He also recognizes that sometimes adding things to my schedule with purpose bring a great deal of happiness to my daily life. An example of this was joining Cambridge Masters Swim Club after a long hiatus and years of swim training on my own.

I missed swimming with a group for the motivation, friendships and team camaraderie. Swimming by myself certainly was convenient, but it was not fun. I began to toy with this idea of rejoining CMSC as OWS season was ending. I decided to join and my first practice back with the team I immediately felt at home and had I a huge grin on my face. The pool is truly my happy place. This addition has had a significant impact on my schedule, as it requires me to wake up at 4:45 am when I am going to practice. It means going to bed at 9:30pm at the absolute latest (ideally, closer to 8:30) and having my bag and lunch for the entire work day packed the night before. In a time when the work felt never ending, it provided me with a fantastic outlet, the opportunity to train with a dedicated group of swimmers, many of whom have become good friends. I am thrilled to continue this in 2015.

Gratitude

For my amazingly patient and incredibly supportive husband. There are not enough words to express my love for him. I try to make it a point to tell him thank you and how much I appreciate every small gesture he does for me. I am also thankful for the fact that no matter what is going on, what we are feeling, we always find a way to laugh together.

I have incredible gratitude for my amazing friends, many of whom who live far away and go to great lengths to stay in touch. I want to make sure that I approach each day by being gracious for what it brings me, and also approach every situation with positivity.

So that is it. I am excited to have a new year to tackle new challenges, goals and experiences. I look forward to filling out my training and racing calendar, but for now I am focusing on positivity in 2015. Most of all, I am looking forward to following this mantra…

What are your resolutions and goals for 2015?

The “Not So Endless Runner”

March 22, 2014 1 Comment

This post has been brewing for a few years, so be patient with me if I ramble on at all. Since I completed my first USAT sanctioned event in the summer of 2011, I knew I was completely hooked on the sport of triathlon.The only issue was, I didn’t own a bike, wet suit, tri kit, or really have any training strategy. I just sort of went with it for two summers. I borrowed road bikes from fellow triathlete friends, showed up and pretended like I knew what I was doing.

Luckily, I had an absolute blast and knew that it was the start of a long and (hopefully) happy relationship with triathlon. I was so jazzed that before 2012 even rolled around I publicly made a commitment that 2012 was going to be the year of triathlon. I signed up for three races and shouted it from the roof tops.

And then, just a few days later my boyfriend at the time asked me to marry him! So all of a sudden there was a wedding to plan and pay for, so quickly I reverted back to my “borrow & make it work” strategy of cycling.

Since I was already signed up for races, I completed two sprint distance triathlons and then unfortunately had to skip the third race due to the time conflicting with our wedding. I had fun, laughed a lot and struggled through one very hilly bike course (or at least it seemed to be at the time), but it was all for fun. The rest of the summer I focused on getting lean and tone for the big day by trying out a lot of different classes. Boxing, Pilates reformer, Exhale Barre, Hot Yoga, Spinning…and running nearly every day. If getting buff for your wedding was a sport, I was dominating it. I really enjoyed the variety and the excuse to be so laser focused on working out, and even welcomed the fact that I didn’t have a “goal race” on the horizon.

I haven’t discussed this too much on the interwebs because I never want our wedding to be the subject of a wedding blog and picked apart by other brides to be. It was our day, and to us it was magical and perfect and that’s how I would like it to stay, our perfect day. It was an absolutely picture perfect day and we celebrated with all of our best friends who flew in from all over the country and even the UK! Our wedding weekend was one of the most special times in our lives, not because we were now husband and wife, but that we had all of our friends and family in one place supporting us. There aren’t any words to describe the outpouring of love, it was just amazing.

After our wedding, we both settled back into real life and I came to realize that my reliance on group classes and laser focus before our wedding made me unbelievably burnt out. I set out on runs on beautiful fall days feeling extremely fit, but mentally I was beyond checked out. I couldn’t really compute what was happening, so I decided to take some time off, rethink some things and go back to working out when I was ready.

Luckily, it didn’t take long for me to snap out of my funk. I set my sights on a new goal, the Ironman Timberman 70.3, a race I had been eying for a few years, but my lack of cycling experience and scheduling always got in the way. I signed up, made the commitment to buy a bike (and everything that goes along with the sport of triathlon) and dove in head first.

After a great 2013 season where I learned so much and fell so hard for such an amazing sport, I have come to realize that I am not the same person I was when I started this blog. I’m now a part of an amazing team, have made new triathlete friends and I am constantly researching and learning as much as possible about swimming, biking and running. Yet, I still find myself typing on a blog that says it is specifically focused on running. Yes, I do still run. But, after seven and a half years of overuse injuries I am beyond done with the traditional marathon training program. Clearly, my body cannot handle the stress of the pounding and the variety that triathlons offer not only plays to my strengths, but helps me compete without suffering season ending injuries.

So, in a few days I am going to say goodbye to “Tales from an Endless Runner” and this blog will become www.swimmykimy.com! A journey through my triathlon obsession and all of the musings that go along with it. I hope you will join me for the ride while I aim high and try to achieve my new goals…

Hello, 2014 (a little late!)

January 18, 2014 2 Comments

Welcome, 2014! Err, I mean, 18 days ago. So, I’m a little bit late to the “new year post” party, ooops! I think it’s safe to say, that when the clock struck midnight and the ball dropped, I sighed a huge sigh of relief and smiled that 2013 was finally behind us. 2014 is here, and it’s time to look forward and rediscover my optimistic view of the world. That might read like 2013 was the worst year ever for me, which is certainly not the case. I certainly had my share of happy moments, laughs and amazing races. There were so many adorable babies born, engagements that I celebrated, weddings that I shook my tail feather late into the evening at, and not mention landing a job that I absolutely LOVE. On top of that, I have a husband that loves me unconditionally and can find the silver lining in absolutely everything. I really am very, very lucky.

Sadly, 2013 was full of a lot of bad news. I said to a friend recently that I can’t remember a year with more cancer diagnosis’s and deaths. Not to mention, fear and anxiety that brought my beloved city to it’s knees in April. To top it off, there were some sketchy and terrifying crimes in my neighborhood. But, dealing with these hard times is a part of life and as my mother’s extremely ill best friend said to me recently, life is really just one foot in front of the other.

I’ve decided that my only new year’s resolution this year is to live life to the fullest. Take advantage of every opportunity, savor every second and remember to laugh. If 2013 taught me anything it is that life is very, very short. Unfortunately, I can’t leave all bad news in 2013, but my new mantra for dealing with unfortunate and sad news is to turn lemons into lemonade. I am going to focus on trying to find the silver lining in every situation and do something positive to help ensure that someone else doesn’t need to suffer in the future.

To kick off this resolution, 2014 will also be my first time training and racing with a team, the Boston Triathlon Team! Acceptance onto this team is very competitive and I’m honored and psyched that they have so graciously welcomed me onto their team. After just a few events, I have learned so much about cycling and the sport of triathlon. I’m so thrilled to be a part of the team, make new triathlon friends and proudly wear blue and green while racing!

I am hopeful that with the help of my new team, an indoor trainer and time in the saddle, 2014 can be the year of the bike. Prior to the 2013 Kona Ironman world championships Mirinda Carfrae said in order to win she “had to get faster on the bike.” and I am employing that same strategy. 2013 was the year I purchased my bike and I surprised myself with how much I came to enjoy my new sport, but I am very far from an expert. 2014 will be the year I build upon that foundation, learn more technical knowledge and simply spend more time on the bike trainer and on the road.

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So far I have three triathlon races on the calendar: Patriot Half Ironman, Cohasset Triathlon and Ironman Timberman 70.3. I’m eyeing the Twin Lights Half Marathon and Mashpee Superswim and I’m looking forward to adding a few more. Are you racing any of these races? Let me know! Do you have any suggestions for races that I should add to my schedule?

There are plenty of other exciting things that will be happening in 2014, and I can’t wait to share all of them!

What is your new years resolution? What are your goals for 2014?

Moving Up, and On

August 10, 2013 1 Comment

I’ve been a bit quiet this year, sorry about that.

Sometimes it’s easier to shy away from communicating when things are tough or unpleasant. No one wants to be a Debbie Downer, right?!

However, it doesn’t mean that I haven’t been doing really, really fun and awesome things:

I took a trip out west to CO to ski and spend time with my amazing college friends. Sadly, we all live far away from one another and it was my one chance to see friends that know me better than anyone else.

I’ve learned to face my fears and get out on my bike. I’ve relied on a lot of bike savvy friends who have been extremely patient with me. THANK YOU.

I’ve raced in some incredible triathlons. Most of which included my super sherpa/cheer squad by my side.

And I have been able to race and train with friends who I haven’t seen nearly enough before this foray into swimming, biking and running…

But, I’ve had a few things going on that have been occupying the time I would be spending by documenting and sharing my training experiences and making new friends through this blog.

I’m happy to report that over the last month or so, things have been moving in the right direction. I won’t elaborate on details, but I’m really excited about what lies ahead:

Two weeks off: Now until 8.26.13

My very first 70.3 race, Timberman 70.3: 8.18.13

Starting a new job: 8.26.13

Buying a car: ?

Rejoining Cambridge Masters swim team: Sometime in September or October.

Life certainly is an unpredictable journey. There are ups and downs. Luckily, I have an amazing husband, support system, sherpa and all around awesome guy by my side. Foxy, thank you for all of your hugs, jokes to make me laugh and ability to roll with the punches. And, I would remiss if I didn’t mention that I have some amazing friends. No matter how far away they are, will always be there for me.

I’m looking forward to a great mix of relaxation, organizing, and racing over the next few weeks. I’m also psyched to see what lies ahead in the next few years in my professional, personal and athletic lives.

Additionally, I am taking on a new side project, to revamp this blog and continue making connections that I enjoy making so much.

Thanks for your patience and I look forward to catching up on everyone’s race schedules very soon.

And if you’re wondering, this will be me for the next few weeks: Ridiculously happy and maybe, perhaps “photogenic triathlon girl”

xoxo

Swimmy

Facing the Music

June 16, 2011 11 Comments

I’ve been contemplating this post for awhile, but like any good addict, I was in denial. So here it goes!

As much as I really do love running, I really don’t think I am truly a runner. Sure, I can run out there and peel out miles, but I don’t have the natural ability as I had in other sports (cough, SWIMMING, cough) and my propensity for injuries makes me feel infuriated and depressed all at the same time.

However, that doesn’t mean that I’m not going to try to change that!

In order to improve, I need to get real with myself. So, let me break it down!

I am NOT in great shape. Sure, I can run. I could probably go out and run 26.2 miles tomorrow if I wanted, but I’m not in any shape to run a marathon and achieve my personal best. I was plugging along at a good clip when my hip decided to act up and cause some problems. That required a full week off and a paired down training plan. Boo.

I came to this realization when I was sitting in my swim coach’s backyard at my reunion this past weekend. We sat around reminiscing about old sets, awesome swims, meets and funny stories. Granted I was in college, going to class roughly 3 hours a day, which was equivalent, if not less than the amount of working out I was doing each day. 2 hours of tough practice in the pool, 30 minutes of of dry land, another hour of night practice and then add in weight training 3x a week. On top of that I was racing every single weekend. BOOM, I was in incredible shape. Now that schedule, I realize, is not realistic for a working professional that sits at a desk for 9-10 hours a day. The 3 hours of class to 3 hours of working out, not a bad ratio if you ask me. Wah, can I go back?!

I know I will never be 20 year old Kim, but deep in my gut I realized I need to kick it up several notches if I want to improve, or at least feel good about my performance.

I need to party less. The past month has been a bit of a whirlwind. It’s been a blast, with our annual Derby party, huge party wedding in North Carolina, Memorial Day weekend and my reunion, my liver is hurting! Summer always means more gatherings, but I need to remember to hibernate on weekends that don’t have a fun event and remember that I don’t need to be the life of the party or queen of the dance floor at EVERY event.

I need to be better with morning workouts. My schedule has been so crazy and my work load isn’t dying down anytime soon, so I really need to buckle down and get used to waking up at 5am, plain and simple! Luckily last week I had 4 mornings of 4:45 or 5am wake ups, which is a huge win for this girl!

I need to clean up my diet. Don’t get me wrong, I eat healthy, but just as I said I’m not truly a runner, I don’t feel as though I’m giving 100% effort with watching what I eat and staying away from foods that end up leading to tummy aches and shorter runs. Whoops, I guess my love of baking doesn’t really help this situation…

I realize I should just relax and enjoy life, but with the SF Marathon 44 days away, I figure it’s better to face the music, clean up my act and move on.

The fact of the matter is, Being in GOOD shape (I realize great is probably not feasible with my schedule, let’s get real here) and seeing improvement is what makes me happy. I’m not saying this is how everyone should live their lives, but I’m so type A and intense that I won’t be happy with a mediocre effort. So, I’m going to set out to work towards achieving that GOOD shape that I crave.

I might not ever be a natural, gifted runner, but I’m going to adjust somethings and keep going. I do this for me, and though everyone will probably say I’m doing fine, I know in my gut that I need to adjust some things. If not, I’m going to be disappointed come July 31st, even if I am just doing this marathon for fun!

For those you are still with me, thanks. Phew. So glad that is over.

On the plus side, the Boston Bruins, my fourth favorite team in the City of Boston (Sorry Bruins, hockey has never really been my thing), won the Stanley Cup last night. Causing my heart to swell with pride for my city. I found the image below and I knew I had to repost it. Sorry all you Vancouver fans or Boston haters!

Have you ever had a moment where you realize that you weren’t prepared for a big athletic event? How did you change your training plan?

Revisiting & Revising 2011 Goals

May 13, 2011 5 Comments

So now that we are five months into 2011, I figured it might be a good time to look back at the goals I set for myself on December 30th 2010….

Goals for 2011

Only run shorter races – This year I’ve made the conscious decision NOT to run a marathon. Last year that decision was made for me, which was heartbreaking, but I’m moving on. I’m going to focus on 5-10k’s, triathlons and half marathons.Clearly I didn’t accomplish this goal, and I’m really happy about it.
New Goal: Run the SF Marathon and get back to LOVING distance running, so far I am on a great track!

On the road back to LOVING running in April!

More Yoga – in 2011, I’m going to make every effort to go at least once a week in order to reduce injury and help work on my core. So far I have averaged going to Yoga nearly once a week in 2011, which is a huge accomplishment for me! This is directly correlated to injury prevention – hooray!
More morning gym work outs – This also goes hand in hand with #4… I need to improve upon this, my hopes are that it will get easier now that it is consistently warm out!
New Goal: Work out 3 mornings a week.
Get More Sleep – So then I can’t hit that snooze button and skip the gym! Still need to improve this one!
Renewed focus on Healthy Eating and Portion Control– Easier said than done, but this is always a challenge! So far, so good! I have really been trying to resist bad food that comes through my office and watch my portion control. So far it’s paid off and I’ve slowly been slimming down to a better weight for marathon training.
More time at the Cape!– It is my happy place, after all. Looking to spend as many weekends as possible down on the cape at my family’s house 🙂

New Goal: Spend less time stressing out and more time enjoying life & spending time with Foxy!

My goals for 2011 have shifted slightly but I still think that they are attainable and I will have a great time in the process!

Have your goals for the year changed since NYE?

Overwhelmed…

May 11, 2011 7 Comments

Lately things have been a bit chaotic lately, multiple client projects, party hosting, projects for a part time WFH job, quick jaunts to Cape Cod for Easter & Mother’s day, volunteering with the ACS, oh yes, and then training, sleeping, eating and spending time with my boyfriend! My apartment is a mess, there are multiple loose ends that need to be tied up, priorities need to be made and I need some very much needed QT with my favorite person, Foxy.

After a really tough week last week, I’ve decided that I’m just going to take this week to try to streamline what I can, and get my life in order to avoid any future stress freak outs. I need to remember, I can’t do everything! Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t want my life any other way, but for now I need to take a quick break and get everything in order. With very little on the agenda on social schedule this weekend (I cleared the whole schedule awhile back for the Heartbreak Hill Half on this coming Sunday, which I am now so grateful for) I should be 100% back in action and my chatty, bloggy-self in the not too distant future. The good news is, my runs have not been sacrificed, and it’s helping me stay focused, centered and keeping me from losing my mind. Thank you running!

To share one non-running thing, Foxy & I celebrated the Kentucky Derby this past weekend with friends at our annual party that we host with another couple. It was a smashing success! Doesn’t Foxy look dapper in his seersucker suit?

When you’re feeling overwhelmed, how do you manage everything? I need your tips!

DetermiNation Volunteering and a New Addition

March 1, 2011 4 Comments

It was a busy weekend, none of which (sadly) included running. First up? The DetermiNation NE Hyannis Team event: A tour of Fenway Park! For those who haven’t been to Boston before, I HIGHLY recommend the Fenway Tour, it costs about $15 and it is a great chance to hear some wicked awesome Boston accents and learn about America’s Most Beloved Ballpark.

Checking out the coveted Green Monster seats

See you in a few weeks!!!! 🙂

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Reflecting on 2010 and Goals for 2011

December 29, 2010 7 Comments

2010 – In a Nutshell

The year started off on a high note, I visited my best friend from high school in Panama and saw her life in the Peace Corps! While we were at it, we saw four great areas of Panama: The eclectic mix of cultures in Panama City, the fun laid back surfer vibe of Bocas Del Toro, the beautiful mountains and coffee farms of Boquete, and the pristine unspoiled waters of San Blas Islands.

Red Frog Beach, Isla Bastimentos, Panama

We returned relaxed, a bit sunburned, and with a better appreciation for everything that we have and all of the work Kaitlin was doing in her village.

Kaitlin talking to her Neighbors at her Peace Corps site

Last winter we were able to go skiing several times and had a blast doing it! We even tried snow shoeing and it’s something we look forward to adding to our list of winter hobbies.

Picture perfect day at Stowe Mountain Resort

Celebrated two Years with Rob in February 🙂

Visited my friends Courtney and Dave in Colorado and finally had my first experience skiing in powder. I even was able to help Courtney shop for her wedding gown, that she ended up purchasing

Skiing at A-Basin in CO

Cheered one of my best friends on in the 2010 Boston Marathon, such an amazing experience. So proud of Noel!

Noel & Me, so proud of her!

Hosted a legendary Kentucky Derby Party with friends, where we raised $200 for Alex’s Lemonade Stand. Next year we’re going for more!

Wooster Alums celebrating the Derby

Had to put down my beloved childhood “puppy” Bonnie Jean, marking the end of dogs in my family’s house for the first time since 1993 🙁

RIP Bonnie Jean

Celebrated SEVERAL friend’s weddings, in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Cape Cod, Delaware and Colorado!

Courtney & Dave's Wedding in Colorado with good swimming friends from college

Inbetween all of the weddings we were able to fit in some beach weekends and a trip to see Jimmy Buffett, always a highlight of summer…

Tailgated at Buffett with my mother, her friend Maureen and my boyfriend Rob 🙂

I injured my knee, which took longer than I anticipated to recover from, and eventually dropped out of the 2010 Chicago Marathon 🙁 But I was able to run the Falmouth Road Race! Note to self, MORE YOGA!

FRR 2010

In a matter of a few weeks this fall, I got a new job and a new apartment!

One of the biggest highlights of 2010 was re-establishing a relationship with one of my longest friends, Katy. After a few years of not speaking over things that are now far behind us, it’s been great having her wonderful outlook and thoughtful personality back in my life again. I’ve loved reminiscing over old stories and catching up on our current lives. Plus, she and I landed new jobs within a week of one another, and now she is working for the American Cancer Society New England DetermiNation program. The fit is absolutely perfect for her, and I am beyond thrilled! She has enlisted me as a mentor for the Hyannis Half and Full Marathon, which I am looking forward to helping charity runners through the trials and tribulations of training for an endurance event and fund raising.

Circa 1996, Katy, her little sister Chrissy and me with my dogs Rory and Bonnie

Finally, in the beginning of December my best friend from high school, Kaitlin, Returned back from Panama! We celebrated her return with her entire family and friends, and enjoyed (probably a little too much) Christmas cheer. It’s so wonderful to have Katy and Kaitlin back in my life, I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed them!

Kaitlin, Katy & Me at an XMas Party In December

So what can I say, it has certainly been an interesting year with several ups and downs, but I have to say, all in all life is good. I’m looking forward to an even better 2011!

Goals for 2011

This year I’m *planning* on taking the year off from running a marathon and focusing on doing a lot more 5-10k’s, 10 milers, half marathons and triathlons. It will be tough, and there will certainly be temptations to sign up for a full 26.2, but I’m sticking to my guns! Hopefully that will help me get the fire back to run another full marathon in hopes that I can have an experience similar to my first marathon, the ING NYC Marathon in 2008. In addition to working out, I’m hoping to spend as much time with friends and get down to my mom’s house on the cape as much as possible 🙂

Only run shorter races – This year I’ve made the conscious decision NOT to run a marathon. Last year that decision was made for me, which was heartbreaking, but I’m moving on. I’m going to focus on 5-10k’s, triathlons and half marathons.
More Yoga – in 2011, I’m going to make every effort to go at least once a week in order to reduce injury and help work on my core
More morning gym work outs – This also goes hand in hand with #4…
Get More Sleep – So then I can’t hit that snooze button and skip the gym!
Renewed focus on Healthy Eating and Portion Control– Easier said than done, but this is always a challenge!
More time at the Cape!– It is my happy place, after all 🙂

What was your favorite moment of 2010? What are your goals for 2011?