Run Happy

February Mile a Day update

2012-02-13T12:55:00.000-08:00

February is nearly half way over, so here is a quick update on my February Mile-a-Day challenge.
I have logged at least one mile every day this month, with a few 2 or 3 milers and one half marathon (Feb 5th). Here's a little chart to illustrate my times (these times are only for the 1st mile of any run):

Here are some stats:
Best mile - 9:42
Slowest mile - 11:25 (I was having some blood blister issues under my big toenail after the Surf City 1/2 marathon and this day hurt the worst...it still hurts but it's definitely less painful!)
Average pace - 10:28

Love,
Mags

11 Randoms!

2012-02-09T20:02:00.000-08:00

Tag! I'm it!

The fabulous Lauren over at Lilo Runs tagged me in her "11 Randoms" post. So here goes!

The Random Eleven
The Rules:

Post these rules

You must post 11 random things about yourself

Answer the questions set for you in their post

Tag 11 people (can't be the person who tagged you)

Create 11 new questions for the people you tag

Go to their blog and tell them you’ve tagged them!

11 Random Things About Me:

1. When I leave a voicemail, it’s usually 5 minutes long. I’m like the energizer bunny…I just keep going and going and going and going….

2. I’m a black belt in karate.

3. I’m a huge girly girl…I love anything pink, sparkly, fuzzy.

4. I’m also a huge nerd…I’m obsessed with Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Left 4 Dead (yes, I am a gamer).

5. I’ve traveled all around Europe including France, Italy, and Spain, and I can’t wait to go back with my husband!

6. Despite growing up in sunny SoCal, I don’t surf. I tried it once when I was 10 and was awful. Had no desire to try again.

7. I hate warm door knobs and warm chairs…they gross me out, I don’t know why, but they do.

8. I make goofy and random noises all the time.

9. I'm married to a police officer :)

10. I lived in New York City for four years and I earned a double degree in Finance and Economics.

11. My wardrobe (shoes included) is from Nordstrom. Nordies has always been my favorite store for as long as I can remember and I buy everything there (with the exception of some things from Banana Republic and Forever 21). *When my mom first found out she was having a girl, the first thing she did was go to Bloomingdales and by me my first bib that was yellow with pink writing "Born to Shop."

11 Questions from Lauren:

1. What is your favorite color? PINK!

2. Where is your favorite place to be? Snuggling with my husband at home :)

3. What is your favorite book? This is tricky as there are a lot. Sophie’s World, Hunger Games, Perks of Being a Wallflower, Kite Runner, Harry Potter, Freakanomics, oh there are too many to name. I love to read.

4. What is your middle name? Christine

5. How long have you lived where you live now? I’ve grown up in this city my entire life, so nearly 26 years (minus 4 years when I lived in NYC). But my husband and I recently bought a house and we’ve been there about 3 months.

6. What was your first CD purchase? TLC’s “Crazy Sexy Cool”

7. How many siblings do you have? Do you get along with all of them? Two brothers, one younger and one older. They are two of my best friends.

8. What is your favorite workout? Kickboxing and running.

9. What is your favorite animal? Big kitties (lions and tigers and leopards, oh my!)

10. How would you end world hunger if you had the magic answer? If I had the answer there would be no such thing as world hunger ;)

11. What's your favorite thing about yourself? I have an incredibly bubbly and vibrant personality! Physically, I like my eyes and legs haha.

Here are your questions from me:

1. What’s your favorite TV show?

2. If you could have lunch with an actor/actress of any era, who would it be and why?

3. If you could tightrope walk across anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

4. What do you do for a living?

5. Do you crave sweet or salty foods?

6. Can you remember your last dream? What was it?

7. How big is your bed?

8. What was the last thing you ate?

9. Who was your last phone call or text from?

10. If you could have any super power, what would it be?

11. What are three things you can't live without?

So now I'm tagging:

Erin
Kelly
Frenchie
Jina
Morgan
Brian
Erica
Kristy
Glenn
Valine
Alice

Tinker Bell 1/2 Marathon Recap

2012-02-04T17:02:00.000-08:00

Tutus, glitter, pixie dust, Disney characters, singing, dancing, running…

This is what made up the Inaugural Tinker Bell ½ Marathon that I was lucky enough to participate in on this past Sunday (1/29/2012). My friend Sara emailed me two weeks prior to the race asking me if I’d like her friend’s bib since her friend wasn’t able to make the race anymore. I said “Absolutely!” and I was given my “wings” (AKA bib).

My cousin Rachel was already signed up with her mom, friend and other cousin so I was stoked that I could join them! My cousin already had her green tutu so I ran out to Party City and picked up a fabulous sparkly green tutu with gold ribbons. It’s amazing. (It will probably make a 2^nd appearance on St. Patty’s Day coming up).

Since the race started at 5:45am and shuttle pick-ups were at 3:50, we had to wake up at 3am. Ouch. Luckily we stayed at one of the Disneyland hotels so we were nearby. My cousin Rachel, her friend Lisa and I shared a room and once we were ready we headed down to the lobby to meet the rest of our crew at the shuttle. But WAIT!!! The shuttle was driving away!!! We waved our arms and saw it slowing down the street. The three of us looked at each other and said “Is it stopping? Do we run? We RUN!” So we sprinted down the street flailing our arms to get on the shuttle. Phew! We made it. Chasing a giant Disney bus down the street at 4am will sure wake you up.

The Tinker Bell crew

We arrived at the starting area, used the restroom, and warmed up our muscles. Then all of a sudden we there was this intoxicating smell in the air…BACON! Whoever was cooking bacon was creating quite the tease for a lot of people!

Me and my cousins Rachel

Me Rachel and Lisa in our green tutus pre-race!

After our mouths stopped watering, we were herded into our Corral where we waited for a long 45 minutes.

Finally the gun went off, and about 15 minutes later our corral crossed the Starting line. My cousin, her friend Lisa, and I were together the whole race, and let me tell you, these girls can SPEED walk! The first few miles ticked by…1…2…3…4…5.

Main St, Disneyland

Running down Main St.

The Castle :)

We were laughing, singing, and admiring everyone’s costume. I have never seen so many tutus in my life! If you WEREN’T wearing a tutu (or a costume of some sort) you stood out like a sore thumb. Let me digress for a second – anyone who discounts walkers doesn’t know what they’re talking about. We were speed walking and we were passing folks! Yes, we walkers were passing runners (and I say this as a runner myself)! Anyways…one of the fun thing about Disney races is that the characters, Disney parade floats, and Disney holiday decoration adorn the course and we get to run through the park! This makes time fly by!!! So before we knew it were at mile 9 and feeling great!

Well, Rachel and Lisa were. They had been training doing lots of mid-week walks and long walks on the weekends. Me, not so much. As I mentioned, I’m a runner and walking uses very different muscles. Speed walking those 9 miles was making my hips scream! So I started running a nice easy pace with them as they continued to kick butt walking! I didn’t even see the 10-mile marker and before I knew it we were at mile 11 with 2.1 to go. The spectators thickened and we saw some of our family in the crowd cheering us on! It was such a great pick-me-up.

We rounded the corner and there was mile 12 along with Woody and the Toy Story crew. I had to take a picture for my hubby because people at his work call him Woody (there is a slight resemblance :-P ).

We saw mile 13 ahead and all began running. The three of us grabbed hands as we passed mile 13 and held them up together as we sprinted the last 0.1 miles across the finish line!

Finishers!

We got our huge and heavy Inaugural Tinker Bell ½ Marathon medals and let me tell you, they’re so cool! Like I said, they are substantial, and in the center is a little Tink that spins! Adorable!

So we got our medal and waited for Rachel’s mom and aunt. It was Rach’s mom’s first Half! She was crossed soon after us and looked amazing!!! She kicked butt!!!! We took some pictures then headed over to get water, Cliff bars, and bananas. We hung out for a bit then I headed home. As soon as I got home I jumped in the shower. I hung my medal on the door knob and one of Sean's and my kitties, Tantalum started playing with it...so cute!

Little Tantalum playing with Tinker Bell (and scoping himself out in the mirror) I love this little guy :)

After showering, I told my hubby I wanted bacon (that bacon smell at the beginning was teasing me the whole race) so he took me out to brunch at one of my favorite places for the most amazing egg-white omelet and bacon ever. Oh it tasted so good :)

We all decided the Tinker Bell ½ will become a family tradition and we will do it every year. It was so much fun! Thank you again to Sara and her friend who gave me her bib for this amazing race! Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!!

Two Months Ago....

2012-02-03T10:16:00.000-08:00

Two months ago today I married my best friend. I’ve never been so happy or felt so lucky inmy life! Everything about our wedding wasbreathtaking, including my handsome groom :) The past two months have been the best two months ever! I love being married! We have so much fun together even if we’redoing laundry or something around the house! We have date nights, we cook at home together, we go for walks aroundour neighborhood, we play with our kittens, we dance around the house and sing…wehave FUN! I love my husband and I loveour life together.

To celebrate our 2 month wedding anniversary, tonight we’regoing to the Melting Pot with our best friends David and Lisa for some yummyfondue and fun cocktails! Cheers!!

February Challenges!

2012-02-01T10:04:00.000-08:00

Happy February!!

I'm excited about today for a couple reasons:
1. Today is the start of my mile-a-day in February! I've pledged to run at least one mile every day! I kicked it off this morning with a 10:13 mile at sunrise. I felt great!
2. The #FEBphotoaday challenge begins today!

And here is my day 1 photo from my run this morning:

Day 1: Your View Today - taken on my sunrise run this morning

3. I start my spring semester of grad school tonight with my Capstone Course! I'm so pumped, because I love my classes this semester and it's my last spring semester of my MBA program (I graduate in December, yay!)

Are you partaking in any fun challenges this month?

Tinker Bell 1/2 Marathon! (quick post)

2012-01-30T15:26:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the Inaugural Tinker Bell ½ Marathon atDisneyland! I did it with my cousin, herfriend, and three other ladies, and we had an absolute blast! We talked, we laughed, we sang, we danced,and the miles just ticked by. Before weknew it we were at mile 9 with only 4 miles to go. So we sang, we laughed, and we danced alongthe course some more! We were beingsilly and enjoying all the Disney characters along the course. Twenty years from now we can say we were apart of the very first Tinker Bell race…how cool is that?! It was so fun and the beginning of alasting tradition :)

Full recap to come later this week!

A-mile-a-day in February!

2012-01-23T16:56:00.000-08:00

With February rapidly approaching, it’s time I start thinking about my running goals for this year. I am going to start out with a simple yetpotentially-challenging goal: to run atleast one mile a day in the month of February.

On the one side, this seems quite simple -- just one mile, or 10-12 Maggie-minutes, of my day…totally do-able. One the otherside, this can be a potential challenge -- February is a busy time for me at workwith our 2011 full year and 4^th quarter earnings, the annual report,board meetings, etc. Additionally, my spring semester of gradschool starts, and all this can add up to very long days/nights. Needless to say, I might be verytired and that one mile could seem like ten miles. Despite these potential challenges, I WILL run at least one mile a day during the month of February!!

What goes around comes around :) Good Karma

2012-01-21T11:48:00.000-08:00

Call it kindness,call it coincidence, or call it karma. Whatever you call it, it’s pretty cool.

Last week I gaveaway my bib for the LA 13.1 Half Marathon that I was unable to run. Two days after I gave it away to Miss J, Igot an email from a friend offering me her friend’s bib for the Disney TinkerBell half marathon on January 29^th! I was so stoked because I tried signing up for this race last fall andit was completely sold out. It’s the inauguralrace, which is so cool to be a part of, and it’s Disney! I love Disney! :) Of course I said yes! My cousin is also doing it and I’m so pumpedto be doing it with her and some other family! And of course we’re dressing up! Green tutus galore! It’s going tobe fun :)

Have a wonderful weekend!!!

Our Wedding Video Preview!!!!

2012-01-13T18:16:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday!!!

Our wedding video preview ishere!! I’m shaking withexcitement!!

Mike McCaleb at MissionVisual was our incredible videographer for our wedding day. He is so talented and was a blast to workwith!! My hubby and I are blown away bythis preview. Mike did such a beautifuljob capturing our wedding day, and reliving it through this short preview givesme butterflies and makes me teary-eyed. Our wedding day was hands down the best day of my life :) Thank you Mike for capturing the love andhappiness of Sean's and my wedding day. I can’twait to see the final full version!

Bella Collina Wedding Preview - Maggie + Sean from Mission Visual on Vimeo.

Three Things Thursday!

2012-01-12T15:39:00.000-08:00

1. Someonehas enthusiastically taken my bib for this weekend’s Los Angeles 13.1 halfmarathon! Thank you J! Good luck on Sundayand have fun!!

2. Last night I reallypushed myself working out, and this morning I’m having flu-like symptoms. At first I thought I was coming down withsomething, but I just realized that this has happened before when I’ve pushedmyself beyond my limits.

3. Tomorrow I have a SUPERfun post!!! I just received something wonderfuland I’m so excited to share it with you!! Keep your eyes on my blog tomorrow!

What races are you running this weekend?

Have you ever had flu-like symptoms the day after or twodays after a really hard workout?

No LA 13.1 half marathon for me

2012-01-11T16:42:00.000-08:00

I am sorry to say that something has come up and I am no longer able to run the LA 13.1 Half Marathon on Sunday. Don't worry, everything is okay, and it's actually for a good reason that I can't run this race :)

I contacted the race director and it's non-transferable, however, if someone wants to run it, I'm happy to pick up the bib and give it to you! Just let me know so I know whether or not I have to go to the Expo Saturday.

Thanks everyone!!

**UPDATE: I found someone who will run the race on Sunday! Yay!! Thanks guys!!

Healthcare Conference in San Francisco!

2012-01-10T13:21:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was in one of the most fun cities attending the largest healthcare conferences of the year, the 30th Annual JP Morgan Healthcare Conference. Just a couple of factoids about this conference:

It's held at the fabulous St. Francis hotel
There are 400+ companies here
There are 8,000+ people
The entire hotel and all it's conference rooms, ballrooms, meeting rooms, etc are closed off to this conference and it's attendees.
To even enter the hotel, you have to be signed into the conference and wearing your badge.

Needless to say, it was a mad house! It was back to back company presentations from all fields: pharmaceuticals, hospitals, managed care (where my company fits in), commercial health providers, etc. Any company and every company relating to healthcare is here and it's so exciting! And analysts who cover these companies, bankers, and investors attend too! I love conferences like these. It's a GREAT networking opportunity and one of the best ways to learn. Plus, my company presented yesterday and that's always extra fun for me since I build the presentations :)

After my company's presentation, I headed back to the hotel to do some more work, then I was able to get a pretty good workout in! I hit the hotel gym and ran 3.87 miles before I met an old friend for dinner. I hadn't seen Miss L since high school and even though we talk online it was wonderful to catch up in person! Then, my incredible hubby came to visit me!!!! I have the best husband! :)

This morning before flying home, we stopped at one of my favorite places for brunch, The Buena Vista Cafe. It's the place we had brunch after running the San Francisco half marathon two years ago (wow, I can't believe that was TWO YEARS ago!)

Buena Vista Cafe Post San Fran 1/2 Marathon, July 2010

Even though it was a quick trip, it was a great trip both from a business and personal perspective. I heart San Francisco :)

Memorial Day Weekend, 2010

Ten days until the LA 1/2 marathon

2012-01-05T15:47:00.000-08:00

Remember when I won a race entry for the LA 1/2 Marathon a couple weeks ago? Well that race is 10 days away!!! TEN days!!

I'm super excited for a couple reasons:
1. I've never won anything until now.
2. The half marathon distance is my favorite distance*.
3. Efo is an inspirational runner, great writer/blogger, and I'm happy to call her my friend. Thanks Efo for having this awesome giveaway on your blog!!!
4. It's a beautiful scenic beach course.
5. This kicks off my 2012 race season! (I'm still working on my race schedule for this year, and once it's done I'll post it.)

I'm super nervous for many reasons:
1. I haven't been running much the past 5 weeks (I have been working out a lot though so at least I'm in shape)
2. My last long run was on Halloween when I ran 9 miles.
3. Between Halloween and my wedding on December 3, I was logged in several 3-4 milers. Since my wedding though, my running has been hardly there (see #1 above).
4. It's a point-to-point race. I have to park at point A, run/walk the race, end at point B, and wait who-knows-how-long for the shuttle to take me back to point A where my car will be.

Having said that, as far as goals are concerned, I only have one: TO HAVE FUN!!! I want to enjoy the beautiful scenery along the oceanfront course and not start off the season with an injury due to lack of training :)

*I have yet to run a full marathon. Once I finish my MBA program this coming winter, I'm going to tackle the 26.2!!!

First Run of 2012!

2012-01-03T14:36:00.000-08:00

It’s been a while since I’ve postedabout running because, frankly, I haven’t been doing much of it. I’ve been working out a TON, but I haven’tbeen logging the miles since our wedding, which was a month ago today! Happy 1 month to us! :)

Yesterday I went out for my first run of 2012! It’s been so foggy the last few nights andmornings to the point where I can’t see 100 feet in front of me, and yesterdaymorning was no different. I set off inthe fog and it felt so good to stretch my legs. I had no plan, no set number of miles, I just wanted to cruise around myneighborhood. I walked a bit here andthere, helping my body to ease back into using muscles it hasn’t in over amonth. Four miles later, I was back atmy front door! I felt so refreshed, and I discovered a new 4-mile loop in my neighborhood, SCORE!

I’m really excited to log more miles thisyear, and my hubby wants to start running with me too! Hooray! He’s always been there for me at races to cheer me on, and he alwayswishes me a good run when I head out for a fun run or training run. I’m looking forward to sharing these momentswith him from a whole new perspective…in the street together running side-by-side!

Cheers to running and cheers to 2012! It’s going to be a great year :)

Our Honeymoon in Paradise!

2012-01-02T12:11:00.000-08:00

Words can't even begin to describe how beautiful our honeymoon in Costa Rica was! We spent 8 beautiful days there, and had a really hard time coming home. If Christmas hadn't been two days away, we probably would have stayed! In addition to the country's beauty, the people were so incredibly nice!! Everyone was so helpful and I never felt worried or unsafe. It truly was paradise :)

We stayed at the Hilton Papagayo which is right on the water, and our bungalow overlooked the gorgeous gulf. This is what we woke up to every morning:

When we first arrived, it was a little overcast, but the next days it cleared up and was gorgeous for the rest of our honeymoon. We went on so many fun adventures!

Jungle Cruise through Palo Verde National Park - this was like the Disneyland Jungle Cruise but WAY cooler! We saw huge 15 foot crocs (and even got as close as 3 feet away!), scarlet macaws, Howler Monkeys, White Headed Capuchin monkeys, herons, egrets, iguanas as big as 4 feet, and more!
Ziplining through the rainforest at Buena Vista - this was an unbelievable experience! There were 11 cables and we soared above the rainforest canopy. It was my favorite adventure!
Horseback riding to volcanic hot springs - this was no ride in the park. It was about an hour ride through rough terrains, up steep hills and down rocky hills. It was so much fun! This was my husband's favorite adventure, and his first time riding!
Swimming in volcanic hot springs - there were 8 pools ranging from 106 degrees (this was HOT) to 75 degrees, all naturally heated. You'll see in pictures below that we're in the middle of the rainforest. It was majestic.
Coco Beach cruising and shopping - we spent an afternoon at the neighboring town, Coco Beach. Very cultural little town with awesome local shops, beatiful beaches, and the nicest people. There were stray dogs every where too! Super friendly just looking for attention. One sat with us at our feet during lunch!
Hiking - we hiked through rain forests and local trails near the ocean. It was picturesque.
400-meter concrete water slide - yes, 400 METERS! That's 4 football fields! It was an open concrete water slide through the rainforest. Requirements include wearing a helmet and a tube, and for the ladies a leather diaper-like underwear thing.
Lots of lounging by the pool and enjoying local drinks made with their local alcohol, Cacique AKA Guaro - soooo tasty! It's made from sugar cane so it's like a rum, but used in drinks like both rum and vodka, and taken as a shot like tequila with lime and salt. It's a versatile (and smooth) drink.
Couples massages overlooking the ocean - perfect after all our ziplining, hiking, and horseback riding adventures :)

So those are our adventures and relaxation in a nutshell. My words don't do it justice, so onto pictures!!!

We're here!!!

It was overcast the first day, but still beautiful. This is by the pool.

Tasting our first Guaro drink...it was delish!

Going to dinner one night

Live music and entertainment every night.

Giant lizard hanging with us at the pool

Getting ready for dinner one night

Dessert!

We found a cool statue when we were hiking one day

Lounging by the pool

On our balcony before dinner one night

That's our bungalow!

On the way to Buena Vista, we stopped at an original self-sustainable sugar plantation that was built in the 1800s.

Gorgeous day!

Giant iguanas on our Jungle Cruise. It was mating season and they turn orange during this time.

White headed capuchin monkey

We saw so many of these guys!!! From a 1 foot baby croc to a 15-foot King of the Jungle croc!

Jungle Cruise!

By the pool

The colors of Costa Rica were so vibrant (when it wasn't cloudy)!

All geared up for ziplining!

One one of the canopy bridges from one zipline platform to the other

One of the zipline platforms

Soaring 1,000 feet above the ground!

Horseback riding!!

Tucan!

400 meter water slide! This is the pool it dumps you into

My hubby feeding a White Nose Coati

Volcanic hot springs with my husband!

It was so beautiful, hot springs in the middle of the rainforest

Our bartender loved us! He kept bringing us pineapple and guaro drinks along with guaro shots!

I love my husband!!!

Our new friends! We met them the first day and hung with them almost every day! Turns out we live one town away from each other!

Lounging and wearing my fabulous new bridal bikini from my dear friend BritB who designs high-end swimwear adorned with swarovski crystals. Thanks for the wedding present B!! <3

One of the pools :)

My handsome hubby <3

View from our massage room overlooking one of the pools and the ocean

Dinner and guaro!

Grabbing lunch and beer at a little restaurant in Coco Beach

Enjoying local beer

Coco Beach!

Me and my man in Coco Beach :)

Doing a little shopping in Coco Beach

Costa Rica was breathtakingly beautiful, adventurously fun, and beautifully romantic. It was the perfect honeymoon spot for us newlyweds :) Thank you mom and dad for giving us this incredible honeymoon. It was a trip of a lifetime and we will never forget it!

We're married!!!! Yea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy New Year!!!

2011-12-31T15:58:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!!

2011 was an amazing year! So much happened this year!! I can't list everything, but here are some highlights:

Flew to Walt DisneyWorld in Florida with my hubby
Ran the DisneyWorld 1/2 Marathon (hubby's first 1/2!)
Bought a house and made it our home
Ran four 5Ks
Ran the Disneyland 1/2 marathon (CA) without training (oops!)
Completed Disney's Coast 2 Coast Challenge
Completed 2 semesters of my MBA program with flying colors
Celebrated our engagement with lots of festivities (Engagement party, 3 bridal showers, bachelorette party, rehearsal dinner)
Gained a guardian angel. I love you Grammie and miss you every day.
Visited five states (CA, FL, MT, NV, NY)
Danced with my daddy at my wedding
Married the love of my life <3
Honeymooned in Costa Rica (post and pics to come soon!)
Welcomed two beautiful kitties into our family
Celebrated our 1st Christmas as husband and wife :)

Two thousand and eleven was a memorable year. The year started out tough with the loss of my Grammie, but she was with us every step of the way in all of our celebrations this year! We had much to celebrate, and I just want to say thank you to my wonderful family and fantastic friends...you guys helped make this year what it was. Cheers to 2012 being just as fantastic!!!!

Our First Christmas! + Our Kitties :)

2011-12-28T10:22:00.000-08:00

Christmas came and went so quickly! We got back from our honeymoon just in time for Christmas, so it was a whirlwind!

After celebrating Christmas Eve at my parents' with my family and my in-laws, and enjoying my dad's famous Pasta and Meatballs (an old family recipe going back generations that dad has perfected over the years), waking up on Christmas morning next to my husband in OUR house with OUR tree was pure bliss.

Every year, Grammie hosted Christmas breakfast. This year, I continued her tradition and made her baked eggs and roasted beef hash. It was bittersweet and I missed her more than you know, but at the same time I was happy because I know that she would have been happy. And my breakfast rocked! She would have been very proud :)

The day before, Sean and I picked up our babies!! Meet, Tantalum (pronounced Tant-a-loom) and Bagheera (think Jungle Book):

Tantalum (left) and Bagheera (right)

Bagheera tuckered out

Tantalum ready to play

Their Kitty Condo!!!! 80" tall! They LOVE this!!

With getting home from our honeymoon just two days before Christmas, then picking up our kitties, we weren't able to decorate our tree until Christmas morning! So before I started breakfast and before my parents and brother came over, Sean and I played with our boys and decorated our first Christmas tree :) **Thank you Dad for picking up our tree, otherwise we probably wouldn't have had time to get one!

After breakfast, we went to my in-laws and spent the day with them celebrating Christmas and opening presents, and of course, watching the Lakers! Christmas is not complete without the Lakers (although I'm very disappointed in the outcome of that game...we lost the lead and the game with 4 seconds to go, grrrr).
Later, we went over to my Aunt's house for a Christmas dinner which was wonderful. Lots of good food, wine, company, music, and dancing! My little cousin who is 2 1/2 years old was rocking out!!! He sure has some moves!

I feel so blessed for everything. December was a very special month for me and my husband with our wedding, honeymoon, kitties, and Christmas. It was a beautiful month and a beautiful year.

So from our family to yours,

Our Wedding :)

2011-12-14T11:38:00.000-08:00

I still can't we've been married nearly two weeks now! I LOVE MARRIED LIFE! I LOVE MY HUSBAND!!! Pictures are trickling in, and we get all giggly every time see them. Everything about our wedding was beautiful and everyone had the best time! It was the perfect day for me and my hubby and we are so blessed :)

Things I will never forget about our wedding:

1. Staying at a beautiful beach resort and going to dinner thenight before my wedding with my family.

2. Waking up on my wedding day to the sun rising over thewater.

3. Enjoying a moment of solitude, sipping coffee, and feelingthe warmth of the sun.

4. A hummingbird (something that my Grammie loved) flying up tomy face and hovering there. I know itwas Grammie wishing me nothing but the best :) I felt her immensely that day.

5. Getting ready with my bridesmaids, sister-in-laws, andparents in my parents’ suite while listening to music and getting dolled up byour fabulous hair and makeup artists.

6. Putting on my wedding gown.

7. The looks on my bridesmaids faces when they saw me.

8. How beautiful my bridesmaids looked.
9. How gorgeous my mom looked.
10. How handsome my daddy looked in his tux.

11. Riding in a white hummer limo with my parents and my girlsto the venue.

12. Seeing our handsome ring-bearer, my 2 ½ yo cousin withblonde curly hair. He looked so cute in histux and black Vans shoes!

13. Standing with my dad arm in arm before walking down theaisle, and him whispering to me how much he loves me and how proud of me he is,and how he couldn’t imagine a more perfect man for me to marry.

14. Seeing my groom for the first time standing under ourbeautiful ceremony arch with green rolling hills as the backdrop…he looked sohandsome and unbelievably happy. He wasall I could see :)

15. My dad giving me away to this wonderful man and soeloquently saying, “She gives herself freely with her mother’s and father’sblessing.”

16. Sean taking my hand and whispering “I love you. You look so beautiful.”

17. My two sister-in-laws and Sean’s godson each reading a poemon love. One of the poems was read at myparents’ wedding 32 years ago.

18. Sean and I saying our vows.

19. Our unity Sand Ceremony. It was perfectly us.

20. Our first kiss as husband and wife. The world stopped.

21. Taking our photos as the sun set behind the hills and how beautiful everything looked.

22. Being introduced as “Mr. and Mrs. Sean O’Neil” at thereception’s Grand Entrance and Sean dipping and kissing me! Everyone cheering!!!

23. Our first dance. Everyone around us blurred and it was just me and my husband.

24. My dad’s speech. Itwas incredible…I laughed, I cried.

25. Best Man speech from Sean’s brother. Memorable.

26. Maid of Honor speech from my best friend Lisa. Like a fairy tale.

27. The father/daughter dance. Dad and I took lessons and we rocked!! “Father and Daughter” by Paul Simon. Beautiful song.

28. Trying to say hello and thank you to everyone! It was such a whirlwind!

29. Dancing and laughing with family and friends all night. We tore up the dance floor! My 12 yo nephew was even doing flips!

30. Our photobooth. Sucha hit!!

31. Cramming into the photobooth with my NYC girls. Pure awesomeness.

32. Dancing the night away in my wedding gown and pink sparkleTOMs shoes!

33. Fun shoes! I changedinto pink sparkle TOMs shoes, I gave my bridesmaids black sparkle TOMs andsisters silver sparkle TOMs. Sean madehimself and his groomsmen custom Vans shoes. We are cool!

34. Our sparkler Grand Exit!

35. Being whisked away in a limo to an incredible beachfront suite at the resort, and enjoying the moment alone with my husband whilewe talked about each moment of our wedding day.

It was more than a dream come true. Thank you to everyone who was there tocelebrate with us. Thank you to myparents-in-law for welcoming me into your family with open arms nearly fiveyears ago. Thank you mom and dad forgiving Sean and I our dream wedding, for all you’ve done for me and myhusband. I love you.

It was a fairytale :)

LA 1/2 Marathon!

2011-12-12T11:46:00.000-08:00

A few days ago my blogger buddy Erin posted a giveaway on her blog. The giveaway was a free race entry for the LA 1/2 Marathon on January 15, 2012! Of course I entered because I'm a fan of her blog, I love half marathons AND it's a race close to home! I never win anything so I entered and didn't think much of it. To my suprise and total excitement, this morning I woke up to an email from Erin saying that I WON!!! I'm so stoked!!! I've never won anything and this is a super awesome thing to win!! Thank you so much Erin!!!

LA, here I come!!!

Our Fairy Tale Wedding

2011-12-06T12:27:00.001-08:00

On a beautiful December day in San Clemente, surrounded by family and friends, Sean and I said our vows and promised to love and honor each other forever.

It was the most perfect day and by far the happiest day of both our lives :)

Thank you Mom and Dad for giving us our fairy tale wedding. And thank you to everyone who came to celebrate our marriage with us. We had the best day laughing, dancing, talking with everyone, and being married!!! I love my HUSBAND!!!!

Maggie and Sean

December 3, 2011

24 Thanks on this 24th of November

2011-11-24T09:03:00.000-08:00

On this 24th of November Thanksgiving Day, I decided to list 24 things I am thankful for. Without further ado....

I am thankful for:

1. My wonderful fiance who loves me and all my goofyness; youcomplete me in every way baby, I love you!

2. My parents, who are always there to support and encourage me. They were high school sweethearts (this picture is from their senior prom <3)

3. My brothers, who make me smile no matter what, even when theymake fun of me

4. My entire family (aunts, uncles, cousins) – we are all soclose and we love and respect each other and always have the best timestogether!

5. To be marrying my soul mate and best friend in a matter ofdays now!!

6. My health

7. My ability to run, and my love for running

8. To have a house that Sean and I call home <3 (We are homeowners!!! Yay!!!)

9. My kitty, Raja (he's the biggest cuddler and snuggle bug in the world!)

10. Sean and I are getting our first furbabies as a marriedcouple: 2 Bengal kitties! (post on this to come soon!)

11. Food. I know there aremany people in the world who go to bed hungry, and I am so grateful to havefood in my belly every day. I am especially thankful for the delicious meal Iwill be eating tonight for Thanksgiving (Grammie’s sweet potatoes-which I willbe making this year, brocolli and cheese caserole, garlic mashed potatoes,stuffing, turkey, fresh cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, mmmm)

12. Technology – I get to video chat with my big brother,sis-in-law, and two handsome nephews who live 2K miles away

13. My friends, who are always there for me, and who all know howto have fun whether it’s a girls night out or snuggling up on the couchwatching Sex and the City or Friends. Ihave the best friends any one could ask for…they are family.

14. Being able to travel to as many wonderful places as I have(topping my list are France and Italy, and I can’t wait to plan more adventureswith my soon-to-be hubby!)

15. Living in SoCal with my second home in NYC (figuratively notliterally). I lived in NYC for 4 yearsand I am lucky enough to travel there several times a year to see all my NYCfriends!

16. My career – I have a wonderful job as an analyst in the healthcare industry. This is a very exciting time for health care,not to mention I work with the best team ever! Speaking of which…

17. My coworkers – I work with some of the nicest, smartest,creative people I’ve ever met. You guyshelp make coming to work every day FUN!

18. My readers. I reallyappreciate you taking the time out of your busy days to read this little oldblog of mine. Thank you.

19. The opportunity to further my education through my Masters inBusiness Administration (MBA) program.

20. To have a sense of humor and that I can laugh at myself whentaking silly pictures of trying to speak in accents that sound like an entirelydifferent accent than what I’m trying to do!

21. My soon-to-be in-laws. They are wonderful people and havewelcomed me into their family since day 1 nearly 5 years ago. I am lucky to have such kind and caringpeople for my in-laws :)

22. Other runners who share their experiences and knowledge viathe internet for other s to read. Ialways find good advice and inspiration through the blogs I follow and new onesI discover.

23. To be alive. Toexperience the world and all it has to offer, to dream, laugh, and love sopassionately. Life is good :)

24. Spending 25 memorable years with my Grammie. This is our first Thanksgiving without her,and I know it will be very hard. I haveto remember she lived 92 incredible years, and I was blessed to spend 25 ofthose years with her. I am also thankfulto be named after her. Grammie, I missyou every day and I’m so thankful you were such an influential part of mylife. You will always be a part of me.

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving? In Two Days??

2011-11-22T09:55:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I did a double workout, each with a lot of cardio and a lot of weights. Today I feel great!!! I'm sore, but it's that good sore one gets from really pushing oneself. I love it!

Can you believe Thursday is Thanksgiving?? I sure can't! Where has this year gone!?
I love Thanksgiving...running the Turkey Trot (last year's recap) with my family in the morning then spending the evening with them engaging in wonderful conversation and enjoying delicious food and terrific wine. It's one of my favorite holidays because it's all about family, friends, and giving thanks. There are many things to be thankful for this year :) I will share my list with you on Thanksgiving Day.

Is anyone running a Turkey Trot? How do you celebrate Thanksgiving?

Stronger

2011-11-17T08:27:00.001-08:00

This morning's run was even better than yesterday's :)

Serenity

2011-11-16T11:49:00.001-08:00

This morning I ran a good, solid, peaceful three miles. There was a heavy cloudcover so it wasn’t too cold. I set outjust as the sun was rising (which I couldn’t see due to the cloud cover) andeverything seemed so quiet and still. All I could focus on was the steady beat of my feet hitting the pavementand the *surprisingly* calm andsteady sound of my breath. That’sright. My breath was every so steady theentire run. I don’t think I’ve experiencedthat in ages! Towards the end of my run,the wind picked up…against me…and of course I was going up hill. I was in my happy place though and it didn’tseem to phase me. I cruised up the hill,wind pushing against me just focusing on my stride and breath. Before I knew it, 3 miles were in the bag!

Don’t you just lovesruns where everything is so serene and before you know it, you’re done andthinking, “Wait, that was __ miles? Impossible. I could run for__ more!”

Happy Wednesday!

Paddle Boarding + Final Wedding Gown Fitting!

2011-11-15T08:52:00.001-08:00

This past weekend was amazing!!! I got several kickass workouts in, includingpaddle boarding! I had never been paddleboarding but always wanted to try it. Recentlymy cousin bought a couple boards so we decided to go out Sunday if the rainstopped. Alas, after Saturday’s rains,Sunday was absolutely spectacular! Crystal clear skies, fresh air, sunshine, it was the perfect day.

I cruised over to my cousin’s house and we took the boardsout! I was a little nervous getting ONthe board because it felt unstable stepping from the dock and putting my weighton this surf board-like thing in the water. Luckily a neighbor came and helped us on our boards, so we didn’t fallin trying to get on the board…WIN! Oncewe were on, it was so FUN! We paddledall around the bay and through the canals. It was super high tide and we had to duck going under a couplebridges! Major leg and core workout!

It was so fun. Wejust chatted about life, her kids, the holidays, and my upcoming wedding! We had so much fun talking and laughing thatit hardly felt like a workout. But letme tell you, it’s a dang good shoulder, core, and leg workout! My shoulders were feeling it the next day(also it didn’t help that we went AGAINST the current) :)

On the wedding front, I had my makeup trial and my finalfitting over the weekend too! My girldid my makeup perfectly, exactly what I want – classic and elegant. And my dress….*smiles*. I LOVE my dress. It fits perfectly, like it was made forme. My mom and my girls came with me tomy fitting and seeing their faces made my heart melt. How am I going to get through my wedding daywithout a million happy tears?? I see waterproofmascara and lots of tissues in my future. Good thing my bridesmaid dresses have pockets;)

How was your weekend? Did you get some good runs/workouts in? Did you do anything else exciting?

Photo Friday - Bride Runner!

2011-11-04T09:51:00.000-07:00

We are officially less than one month out!! I can't express in words how excited I am to be marrying my best friend and soul mate! He is the love of my life :) We couldn't be more ready and happy to start our married lives together.

So with less than one month until we say "I DO", I thought this photo was very fitting for today's "Photo Friday."

Happy Friday!!

4:45am? Piece o' cake! (Intervals + T-minus 1 month!)

2011-11-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

I don't know why, but waking up at 4:45am is SO much easier than waking up at 5:30am for me. I struggle getting out of bed at 5:30, however when my alarm goes off between 4:30-5am, I jump right out of bed! I guess I'm just weird :)

Anyways, after I jumped out of bed, I went to the gym and ran intervals on the treadmill for 45 minutes (not including warm up/cool down)! It basically went like this:
2 minutes @ 4mph
1 minute @ 5
1 minute @ 5.5
1 minute @ 6
1 minute @ 6.5
1 minute @ 7
1 minute @ 7.5
1 minute @ 8
Repeat 5 times

It definitely kicked my butt and I felt fantastic! The time flew by with the constant change of speed, and I also had my handy dandy iPad. I downloaded and watched the pilot episode of the new TV show "Grimm" which was awesome by the way!

On another note...Happy 1st of November!!! Do you know what that means?? I'm getting married NEXT MONTH!!! Weeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so excited to be marrying my best friend and soul mate. He is the love of my life and I couldn't be happier to marry him!!!!

9 miler + Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T17:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's 9-miler can be summed up with this graph:

It started out rough, slow, and sluggish, but I pushed through and just enjoyed the beautiful sunshine-y morning. Around mile 3 my knee started to hurt. I knew this would be my longest run in a while and I didn't want to risk another ITB injury, so I stopped and stretched my IT band and legs. After that I felt great! Miles 4, 5 and 6 ticked by and I was feeling great! Then around mile 7, my legs started to tighten and tire. I only had a few more miles to go and decided to throw in some short walk breaks (about 1 minute every 5-10 minutes). Finally I made I saw my house and sprinted the last bit home. My legs weren't happy with me, but post-run foam rolling helped a ton! I'm really happy with myself that I got it done :)

And of course, today is *HALLOWEEN!!!* Tonight will be spent studying for my midterm on Wednesday, but the girls I work with and I did dress up at the office today. Can you guess what we are?

You can't really tell, but I'm even wearing my old retainer!!!

I'll give you a hint:

Happy Halloween!!!!

Baby, It's Cold Outside

2011-10-28T11:10:00.000-07:00

After a week of being sick followed by a few days of struggling to wake up and run in the morning, I finally got my bum out of bed this morning! It took me a good 20-30 minutes to finally get my feet out the door, but I did it, and man, it was COLD**! It definitely felt like a winter morning. And since we haven't changed time yet, it was still pitch black too.

Pitch black + cold weather = not my ideal running condition

Because it was so cold** though, I just darted out the door. No warm ups, just running. I knew it would get my blood flowing and I'd warm up sooner or later. 1/2 mile later, I felt warm. I only ran 2 miles with a short 30 sec walk in between, but it was nice to get out. I'm still fighting a cough, which signals the tail end of a cold for me, so it wasn't my best run, but it sure as hell wasn't my worst.

Tomorrow I have a 9-miler. With my lack of running in the past 10 days, I have no doubt I'll throw in some 30 second walk breaks here and there.

How do you stay warm when running in the winter?

**Disclaimer: When I say cold, I mean Cali-Cold. For us southern Californians, we adorn ourselves with coats, scarves, gloves, and hats when it drops to the 40s, and this morning it was 45 degrees. Brrr. I know, I know. Anyone in the midwest or on the east coast must think I'm nuts! Well, I DID live in NY for 4 years so I do know what true cold weather is like (i.e. snow, blizzards, ice, wind that literally chills you to the bone, etc.), but since moving back home 3 years ago this Cali girl has re-adapted. Cold (for me) now = 50 degrees and below :-P

Three Things Thursday!

2011-10-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

1. On the running front - this weekend I have a 9-miler scheduled. I'm looking forward to it and dreading it both at the same time. Last week I came down with a horrible cold and couldn't even get out of bed for a couple days, let alone run. This week I ran once because my body is still fatigued and I can't seem to drag my @$$ out of bed before 6:30-7am for a pre-work run. So, my 9-miler might prove to be a little challenging, but in the words of Nike, Just Do It!

2. Wedding update! - the BIG DAY is almost here!!!! We are BEYOND excited for it!! Tonight Sean and I are meeting with our DJ to go over some things ("must play", "do not play" songs, sequencing, etc). We're into all the little details now! So fun!!!

3. Halloween - like I said in my last post, I LOVE Halloween! It's so fun to dress up and hang out with friends, and you can't beat "13 Nights of Halloween" on ABC family (I'm a sucker for all those movies, ESPECIALLY Hocus Pocus, which I grew up on...it's on of my favs). I'm sad to say, my love for Halloween has only manifested this year in our house decorations...our house looks awesomely spooky! But I haven't made Halloween plans nor have I given thought to what I'm going to be! I've been so preoccupied with work (which has been crazy busy (in a good way) with our quarterly earnings), school (gearing up for a midterm next week), and of course wedding planning! It's all great things that have taken priority. Quite frankly, I can't even believe Halloween is here! I woke up the other day thinking I still had plenty of time before realizing it was a week away! Yikes!
Does anyone have any fun and easy to put together last minute costume ideas???

Bridal Showers Galore!

2011-10-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

This past weekend my future in-lawsthrew me a Spooktacular bridal shower! Ilove Halloween, and when I was asked if they could throw me aHalloween/Nightmare Before Christmas shower (I love that movie btw) withHalloween just a week away, I said why not!

I already had a fabulous pink and zebra bridal shower that my cousins threw me last month for my side of the family (his mom, grandma andaunt of course came to that though :) )

My wonderful cousin who threw me this shower, my Cali bridesmaids (2 are in NYC)

and my future Sis-in-law

My mommy and mom-in-law <3

Pink cupcakes with "Sean" and my name tattooed on his bum!

A taste of the decorations :)

My wonderful cousin who threw me this shower

Now onto my Spooktacularshower! Just as it’s bad form for abride’s mom to throw a shower (a relative, family friend, or bridesmaids takeon this task), it’s bad form for the groom’s mom to throw the bride onetoo! So my wonderful mom-in-law asked herdearest friend to throw me one, and it was fun! H and her daughter A came over the night beforeto decorate. Side note: they asked if I wouldn’t mind having it atSean’s and my new house since we finished redecorating and everyone wanted tosee it…of course it was no problem for me!

Here is the spookytable:

We had delicious cupcakes and cake pops, and croissantsandwiches and spinach dip. And we hadMiss M’s famous long island iced tea that she so kindly made and brought withher! Also, my fabulous MOH madedelicious jello shots, and Sean’s family friend also broughtjello shots! Needless to say, there wasno shortage of food and drink.

Prior tomy shower, H asked both me and Sean for a few Halloween pictures of us as kidsand young adults. Here is what I came upwith on my end:

Singin' in the Rain!

Me as a princess

The Green Fairy (I hand sewed this costume btw!)

Jeannie (my fav TV show growing up!)

Lions with my little bro (I'm on the right)

Snow White (I couldn't find my Sleeping Beauty or Belle pictures

from when I was little *sad face*)

Peanut Butter and Jelly with Sean at the Warrior Dash (a crazy mud run) last Halloween

Princess Lei (Sean's fav!)

Queen of Hearts one year in college

Me and Sean as cowboys

And one of my favs....ZOMBIES!!!!

We also played a “favorites” game where everyone got afavorite sticker on their back and had to ask others yes or no questions, “Isit the bride?” “Is it the groom?” “Is it a favorite color?” “Is it blue?” and so forth. Sean’s cousin actually won and she had all “Bride”stickers! I was so impressed, eventhough I did help her out with a couple, but shhh ;)

Then came the gifts. I can’t not express in words the gratitude and love I felt. I was overwhelmed with the generosity andlove of Sean’s family. I’ve been a partof his family for years now, but this still blew me away.

Me and Grandma C

My MOH Lisa, me, my future sis-in-law Kathleen

Some of the girls

Me with my mom and soon-to-be mom-in-law :)

I can’t thank them enough for their love,kindness, and warm welcome into their family. I am so loved and so blessed. Thankyou :)

Weekends of Fun!!!

2011-10-21T14:04:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was so incredibly fun!

I had my first official wedding dress fitting, and I love love love my dress more than ever! It fits perfectly and only needs to be hemmed. I tried on all my jewelry with it and of course my shoes (to get the right hem), and I felt like a princess :)

After spending a wonderful day at the bridal shop with my mom, I met my future Sis-in-law for dinner (we're marrying brothers!). I took her to one of my fav restaurants, where we ended up talking, laughing and enjoying delicious food for nearly 6 hours!

Then Sunday, I woke up at ran 5 miles! Friday night I fell asleep without setting my alarm, so when I woke up at 8:15am, I realized I had missed the 7:30am start time of the Chapman 5K I was supposed to run! Oops!!! So Sunday I got my mileage in. I planned 7 miles, but the wind picked up and I was running against it (not so fun) so I ended it at 5 miles. But I felt strong and glad I got those 5 miles in.

After my run, I cruised up to Manhattan Beach to meet D&L. A girlfriend of mine recommended Simmzy's for brunch, and I'm so glad we went there! The food was fabulous, their sangria is like elixir, and it's right on the water. After stuffing our bellies with food and sangria, D&L and I walked down to the beach and enjoyed the beautiful weather.

This weekend will be another fabulous weekend!! My future in-laws are throwing me a bridal shower!!! I've already had two marvelous showers, one thrown by my creative cousins, and one by my NYC girls! I'm so excited for my in-law shower today! Pics to come!!

Have a great weekend!!

If I Were A Zombie, I'd Eat You The Most!

2011-10-21T11:26:00.000-07:00

I love zombies and I love fun tees. Put them together and this tee is my new fav!!

Happy Friday!

PS-It's almost Halloween :)

Support in Love - Seal Beach

2011-10-14T09:31:00.000-07:00

My heart goes out to the families ofthe victims of the Seal Beach Massacre. This is such a devastating tragedy and it’s so unfathomable that somethingas horrific as this can happen in our quiet, quaint little beach town of SealBeach. Eight lives were taken, and eventhough I don’t know any of them personally, I have friends who knewsomeone. It’s absolutely heart breaking. My thoughts and prayers are with the familiesof loved ones lost on 10-12-2011.

Three Things Thursday!

2011-10-13T12:50:00.000-07:00

1. Saturday I’m running theChapman 5K! As a grad student atChapman, I was able to register for free! What’s better than that. I’mreally excited because I’m running it with a couple of classmates, one of whomran it last year with me. I have no goals pertaining to the race. Why? Because this Saturday is a7-mile training run, so I need to wake my bum up before the crack of dawn toget 4 miles in before the 8am 5K start, which I will cruise at my long run pace:)

2. Pumpkins!!! I LOVE all things pumpkin, and fall =pumpkins galore! Pumpkin spiced lattes,pumpkin pie, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin patches, pumpkin carving, pumpkin candles,etc! What can I say, I heart anythingpumpkin. In fact, I discovered a newpumpkin treat at Whole Foods…it’s called “Pumpkin Pie” organic bar by TastyBrand (and it sure is tasty!)

3. Saturday is my firstwedding dress fitting! I tried it onwhen it first came in (and OMG I LOVE it!!!!), but this weekend I’m meetingwith the bridal shop seamstress to get it hemmed. Even with heels, it’s a little too long formy 5’4” stature. I can’t wait to putthat beauty on again, and even more for my future hubby to see me in it on ourwedding day (so soon!!!)

Surf City 1/2 Training Plan

2011-10-10T09:30:00.000-07:00

I started training for Surf City ½ a couple weeks ago. I opted for a longer training plan to really buildmy foundation. This plan also has asignificantly longer “long run” compared to other plans I’ve followed, with thelongest run being 17 miles. I know itseems a little crazy, but I think if I stick with this, I can train my body torun distances more efficiently, and when the 13.1 that is Surf City comes, I’llbe more than ready!

It’s quite simple. Irun Tuesdays and Thursdays for 45 minutes, and Saturdays are reserved for mylong run. My long runs are as follows:

Week 1: 5 miles(DONE)

Week 2: 6 miles(DONE)

Week 3: 4 miles(turned into 6 miles with my dad!)

Week 4: 7 miles

Week 5: 4 x 800s onthe track

Week 6: 9 miles

Week 7: 6 x 800s

Week 8: 11 miles

Week 9: 8 x 800s

Week 10: 13 miles

Week 11: 10 x 800s

Week 12: 15 miles (Imight sign up to run the Holiday ½ in Pomona, and tack on two miles before that…I’mstill debating)

Week 13: HONEYMOON!!!!

Week 14: 4 x 800s

Week 15: 17 miles(this might come down to 13 or 15…we’ll see)

Week 16: 14 x 800s

Week 17: 11 miles

Week 18: 8 miles

Week 19: 5 miles

Week 20: SURF CITY ½ MARATHON!! 13.1 miles!

I’m really excited about this training plan, and very happywith it so far (I might be singing a different tune after some of those long runs!)! On top of running 3x a week, I’m going to thegym Mon/Wed/Fri to get in my strength training. Sunday is my rest day :)

So, there you have it! My training schedule for the next 20 weeks!

What races do you guys have coming up? What kind of training plans do you follow?

Breast Cancer Awareness month!!!

2011-10-04T10:08:00.000-07:00

October is one of my favorite months because it's Breast Cancer Awareness month!!! I am a very big supporter of this cause, and over the last few years I have personally raised close to $8,000 for the cause. It all started with my Grammie who survived breast cancer more than a decade ago. Over my 25 years, I have known many women to battle this terrible disease, and I try to be as active as I can to support the fight against it.

In 2008, I walked 40 miles for the cause with my dear friend Amanda. At the time I didn't have my blog, but I later wrote a mini recap here. We walked it again in 2010 and together raised nearly $10,000! She is walking it again this year in New York, and she's walking for my Grammie which means the world to me. She's very close to her goal of $3,000 and if you'd like to make ANY contribution she and I both would be forever grateful. Amanda's donation page can be found here. Thank you in advance for you support.

Around this time, I like to find fun items that are fabulous and help support breast cancer research! Some of my previous posts can be found here and here. This year I have a few more fun things to mention :)

Dogeared "Wish for a Cure" necklace - So delicate and sweet

Clarisonic Skincare Brush - I have this and it's wonderful! I love it!

Essie Breast Cancer Awareness Nail Polish - I adore this color

Headband on Etsy - Pretty in Pink!

Pink Blender - this is just fun! There are a TON of pink kitchen items available
with proceeds going towards breast cancer

iFitness belt - the best running accessory!!

Lucy racer top - simply cute

Oakley Sunglasses

Please show you support this month and wear pink! I'm wearing something pink everyday :)

Mags

For the rest of your life

2011-09-30T11:06:00.000-07:00

Love this!

Tomorrow I have a 6-miler on the books.

What are you doing this weekend to work for it?

The kind of run that makes it all worth it :)

2011-09-23T09:48:00.000-07:00

This morning I had one of those runswhere everything just clicks and feels so right. I reminded me why I love to run.

I woke up thismorning feeling more refreshed than I had in nearly two weeks. I drank some water, laced up my shoes andwalked out into the darkness. Therestill was no trace of the sun, and the air was crisp, cool, and dewy…fall is inthe air. I took off nice and easy, and Ifelt like I was gliding. My breath wassteady, my feet were light, and I just cruised. Halfway through my planned 2-miles, I decided to run another milebecause I didn’t want that feeling to end. Everything felt so right! I hadn’thad a run like that in while

Runs like these arethe reason I love to run. We all havetough runs, runs that may beat down our sprit and hurt our motivation, but it’sthe runs like this that make all it all worth it.

Tomorrow I have a5-miler planned, then my fabulous and creative cousins are throwing me a bridalshower!!!! All I know is that there willbe lots of pink (my favorite color!) and I have to wear white! They are so talented and I can’t wait to seewhat they have in store!!!

Happy Friday!

First Race as a Mrs!

2011-09-19T16:21:00.000-07:00

I just signed up for the 2012 Surf City 1/2 marathon on Super Bowl Sunday!

I ran this in 2010 as my first half marathon with my cousin, and I'm so excited to train for it and run it again! I'm especially excited because this will be my first race as a married woman! Woohoo!!!!

Do you guys have any races coming down the pipeline you're super excited for?

My Bachelorette Weekend!!!

2011-09-13T09:30:00.000-07:00

I don't even know how to explain how much fun I had during my bachelorette weekend! My bridesmaids, mom, sis-in-law, aunt, cousins, friends, and I all went to Vegas Friday for my bachelorette weekend. It seriously was the best weekend ever, filled with so much laughter and fun. I am so grateful to everyone who came, and so blessed to have such giving, loving, and kind people in my life. I felt so special the entire weekend and I can't wait for the big day!!

My incredible maid of honor, Lisa, completely outdid herself with everything this weekend! We stayed at the fabulously chic Cosmopolitan in a suite on the 58th floor overlooking the Strip and the Bellagio water show! It was breathtaking and we could even hear the music from the water show!

My MOH, 2 bridesmaids and I flew early Friday morning...8am flight to be precise! We started with mimosas and bagels at 6:30am pre-flight!

Mimosas at 6:30am, my dad blasting music for us in the background!

Let the bachelorette festivites begin!!

Lisa got us "Bride" "Maid of Honor" and "Bridesmaid tanks to fly in, and then she made everyone who came with us tanks for Saturday night's lingerie shower in our suite and the party!

The top Lisa made for everyone as one of the favors :)

Koko, Lisa, Me, Kelly in our Bridal tanks having just landed in Vegas!

@ the Chandelier Bar drinking a "Buzz Button" (weird but so good! you eat a flower

that makes your mouth tingly then drink a margarita-like cocktail)

with my mom, sister-in-law, and bridesmaids

It was incredible! I also received a bridal crown with a veil, a shot glass diamond ring, a shot glass necklace, Bride pin, a couple different sashes to wear over the weekend, a lei with fun things attached (use your imagination), and we all received personalized martini glasses with pink and black polkie dots, dice wine stoppers, and so much more!

Thank you Lisa, for the amazingly awesome and generous favors you gave us!!!

My incredible Maid of Honor, Lisa you are the BEST!

Me and Koko...I've known this girl since 3rd grade <3

Kelso and Maggle Rock

Me and my Sis-in-law :)

Friday night we had dinner at the delicious Sushi Samba at the Palazzo. If you love sushi, you will swoon over this place. It was sensational!

@ Sushi Samba at the Palazza

This is where I received my Scavenger list...it was a list of about 30 things to do like ask a guy for a condom, get a guy to buy you a Blue Moon then tell him it's your fiance's favorite beer, get a picture of a guy's gf or wife from his wallet, etc. There were some pretty hilarious things on the list!!

The rest of the night was spent at the pool club Marquee at the Cosmopolitan, and trying to check things off my scanvenger list and hanging with my girls. I don't think I've laughed that hard in a long time!

Saturday was a blast! I got us all a cabana by the pool so we lounged and laughed all day before going back to nap and get ready for the night of Festivities for Mags.

Me and my cousin Rachel wearing our custom swarofski

swimsuits designed by my dear friend BritB, BeachCandy Swimwear

Lisa threw me a lingerie shower in our suite complete with catered dinner and a signature Maggie Cocktail! We all drank "Maggie's" while I opened my presents :)

Of course the night wouldn't be complete without quizzes!! Lisa quizzed everyone about me, leaving no category uncharted, and she quizzed me about my fiance! Damn I know him well ;) Better than anyone he says. Speaking of my fiance, I saw a Star Wars slot machine and HAD to take a picture for him:

I won't divulge every little detail, but the entire weekend was without a doubt the best bachelorette ever! I had the BEST time of my life and won't ever forget it! Thank you to Lisa, for going above and beyond, and to my bridesmaids (Viv and Ali we missed you!!!*), my dear mommy who is a rockstar!, my aunt and cousins, and my friends for making my bachelorette weekend one to remember!! I love you all so much!!

*Two of my five bridesmaids live in NYC and are throwing me an east coast shower/bachelorette this coming weekend! I'm so looking forward to that!!!

Love,
Mags

September 11, 2001 - Never Forget

2011-09-11T10:03:00.000-07:00

It's been 10 years since that horrific day in September. Just as people never forget where they were when JFK was shot, I will never forget where I was on that fateful morning.

I was a sophomore in high school, and at 6:00am, my dad woke me up saying, "Maggie, someone crashed into the twin towers. Wake up." Still sound asleep I brushed him off, "Five more minutes dad." "Maggie, wake up, we're being attacked." I sprung out of bed and ran to my parents room where they had a live news feed. I remember being flooded with emotions and I just froze. My mom was at LAX where she was due to fly back east. Dad called her and she immediately jumped in a cab and headed home. My parents kept me and my younger brother out of school, since my high school was near the Port of Long Beach and San Pedro (one of the largest ports in the US) and all day I spent watching the news, frozen with shock, sadness, confusion, and so many other emotions. I can't explain it, but watching it happen was terrifying.

Three years later I moved to New York for college. There I spent four of the best years of my life, living with seven girls, 5 of whom are New Yorkers. Their recollections from that day (and days that followed) are insurmountable. Even though I wasn't in New York when it happened, I still to this day am overwhelmed with emotion when I think of it or see pictures. It brings tears to my eyes and sadness to my heart that we were attacked like that. Thank you to all the brave men and women, police officers and firefighters, medics and civilians, who risked their lives that day to save others; and to our brave men and women over seas who have fought for the last decade. I will never forget.

Chance to run the Women's Nike Marathon from Somersault Snacks!

2011-09-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

Do you want to run the SOLD OUT Nike Women's Marathon? Even though it's sold out there is still an opportunity to run it!

I was recently approached by Somersault Snacks, which is a company that produces delicious, healthy snacks baked with sunflower seeds and toasted grains (who doesn't love a tasty snack?!). The Company has an awesome opportunity for 6 lucky winners to train and run the Nike Women's Marathon with them in San Francisco on October 16th!

It's so easy to enter! All you have to do is:

1. Like Somersault Snacks on Facebook and complete the sentence: "I run to be_____" and tell them why you should be picked for Team Somersaults!
2. Tweet about the contest referencing @SomersaultSnack in your tweets!
3. Enter the contest via Facebook here!

It's an awesome chance to race in one of the most fun Marathons, and don't forget, you get a Tiffany's necklace at the end of this race.

Disneyland 1/2 Marathon Recap!

2011-09-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun this past Sunday participating in and finishing the Disneyland ½ Marathon! I must confess, I wasn’t sure how my body would handle the 13.1 miles since I hadn’t trained at all. Literally, I hadn’t ran or walked more than 3 miles in months! But I told myself I was going to have a great time, and that some silly stories about myself might come out of it (blisters, stomach issues, muscle cramps, ya know…things that happen anyways but have increased probability without any training).

To my surprise, I finished in 3:20 which was much quicker than I thought considering the circumstances. Actually, I was very surprised with everything! I had zero blisters (I usually always get blisters under a toenail or a few), I had no muscle cramping (my calves started to tighten near the end, but no cramps!), and I was shockingly not sore the next day (I was expecting to not being able to move on Monday!) My best guess to my why my body held up as well as it did is because I’ve been working out, despite my complete lack of running and increasing mileage like a normal runner-in-training would do. But I’ve still been lifting weights, practicing yoga and pilates, and taking some fun fitness classes. Just being in shape helped me tremendously. I will say, though, that being surrounded by runners and feeling everyone’s energy and adrenaline strongly made me realize that I do want to train for another half marathon. I love the 13.1 distance, and I want to do it again and this time be prepared.

On to a quick recap of the race!

My friend Sara and her fiancé Dave were also running Disneyland and were kind enough me a ride with them. After a brutal 2:30am wake up call, I got ready and Sara and Dave were at my house around 4am. We made it to Disneyland with plenty of time to be in our assigned corrals by 5:30am. The gun went off at 6am and my corral didn’t cross the starting line until nearly 6:30am. While waiting, I made friends with Rapunzel and Minnie Mouse (almost everyone was dressed up or had some kind of Ode-to-Disney-character trinket). We finally crossed the starting line and I fell into a light run. I was feeling quite good and continued to run until we reached the mile 1 marker where I began to walk. I knew if I kept running, my tank would exhaust before we hit the half way point. I ended up walking nearly the whole race with some light running here and there. The first 6 miles ticked by so quickly as we snaked our way through California Adventure and Disneyland.

We came out to Ball Road which was kind of a pain in the butt because the sun was rising in our faces as we ran up a hill. Fun stuff. I walked. Good times. We finally came around the Honda Center and into Angels Stadium!

I love the Angels and being able to run the bases is so cool! The last few miles were pretty dull until we hit downtown Disney and the finish through which I sprinted. (No matter what, I have to finish strong.)

After crossing the finish, I was rewarded with my giant Disneyland finisher’s medal and quickly proceeded to the Coast to Coast Challenge booth where I picked up my C2C medal for running a Disneyworld race and a Disneyland race in the same calendar year (Sean and I ran the Disneyworld ½ Marathon in Florida back in January).

The medals are HUGE! As I walked to meet Sara and Dave, my Disneyland and C2C medal clinked together and I felt so proud of myself for getting out there and accomplishing the un-trained 13.1! And I’m so proud of Sara and Dave who both PR’d!!!!

I had a great time and I can’t wait to pick my next 13.1 :)

Love,

Mags

Disneyland 1/2 Marathon???

2011-09-03T11:59:00.000-07:00

About two weeks ago I received an email from Run Disney..."FINAL RACE INSTRUCTIONS." Final race what? "Oh crap!" I thought. I had completely forgotten that I signed up for the Disneyland 1/2 months ago, partially because I can't believe September is here. Where did the summer go? Where has the year gone?

So tomorrow morning, I will be waking up at 2:30am (ugh), leaving by 4am to be lined up in my corral by 5:30am of a race I have not trained for at all. I could get all stressed and worried, but I'm not. I'm actually looking forward to it! Honestly, who can say they've gone into a 1/2 marathon untrained? Only a dumbass who forgot she signed up, i.e. me hahaha! I am going to go out there tomorrow and have fun! I will probably get super tired, sore, hit a wall, build a thousand blisters, BUT IT'S DISNEYLAND, and it will be so much fun!!!!! Training or not, let's do this thing and have fun!!!!

Wish me luck! :)

PS-I get my Coast to Coast bling too after finishing! My fiance and I ran the Disneyworld 1/2 in Florida back in January which was so much fun!!!

BluePrint Cleanse Review!

2011-08-12T08:30:00.000-07:00

Was I hungry? Surprisingly not. Was I tired? Nope! Did I still workout and have energy? Hell yea!

On Tuesday and Wednesday I did a juice cleanse. Now I know what you’re thinking…those are bad for you…you don’t get enough nutrients…etc. Well, if you do the Master Cleanse, then yes…that one is bad for you because it’s just lemonade and cayenne pepper of some crap. I did a lot of research and found the BluePrint Cleanse (BPC), which is comprised of 6 delicious juices per day. There are different types of cleanses, and as a first-time cleanser, I went with level 1, the Renovation Cleanse.
“Renovation Cleanse – The beginner’s cleanse. If you are new to juicing, start here and work your way up.” I chose to cleanse for two days (no way I was jumping in to a 5 or 7 day cleanse!).

Each day you have 6 juices:
1. Green Juice – Kale, cucumber, romaine, celery, apple, spinach, and lemon (sounds gross but it’s tasty!)

2. P.A.M. – Pineapple, apple, mint (this is DELISH! I could drink this all day long! Would be good in a cocktail too…)

3. Green Juice again

4. Spicy Lemonade – Water, agave nectar, lemon, cayenne pepper (look familiar? This is all the master cleanse is. It’s a very tasty juice with a nice kick, but no way I can drink JUST this all day for days. No thank you master cleanse, I’ll stick with the BPC!)

5. Carrot Apple Beet Juice – carrot, apple, beet, celery, ginger, lemon juice

6. Cashew Milk – Filtered water, raw cashews, agave nectar, vanilla bean, cinnamon (this juice is SOOOO delicious…it’s like dessert but not too sweet. This was my fav with the P.A.M. juice in a close 2nd.)

The juices were all tasty, but I definitely had my favorites. I spread them out, drinking my first juice around 8am, second around 10:30am, third around 12:30pm, fourth around 3:00pm, fifth around 5:30pm, and the yumminess that is the last one around 7:30pm.

One of my concerns before juicing is if I would get headachy, lethargic, and crave real food. Well, I was pleasantly surprised that the juices were quite filling and I never had a rumble in my tummy. I shockingly never got a headache (I’m prone to migraines), and I had so much energy! The beauty of this cleanse, and I think the reason for my feel-so-good experience, is that each juice is loaded with essential nutrients that your body needs. So even though you’re not eating hard food, you’re still getting what you need.

I really felt great! I worked out Tuesday morning with my trainer and took a spin class Tuesday night, Wednesday morning I went for a short walk before work, and yesterday I worked out with my trainer again and practiced hot yoga after work. I never felt too fatigued to workout :)

The only thing my body wanted but wasn’t getting was salt. I’m a BIG salt fan (chips, cheese, anything salty), and by Wednesday I was craving some salt. But I did not give in and I am happy I didn’t! I needed a mini salt detox anyways ;)
Would I do this BPC juice cleanse again? Absolutely! I wouldn’t choose to do more than 2 days, but that’s just me. Do it for however long you want! It’s great!
Disclaimer: BPC did not ask me to review this product. These opinions are strictly my own from personal experience with the product.

Happy Friday all!!!! I hope you have a fabulous and fun weekend!!
<3 Mags

Three Things Thursday! -- Wedding Update!

2011-08-11T08:39:00.000-07:00

1. Our wedding invitation calligraphy is done! My calligrapher finished addressing our wedding invitations! They look absolutely beautiful...I'm SO happy with them! Now it’s time to put the invitations into the envelopes to be ready for mailing when the time is here!

2. My bridesmaids all have their dresses…and they love them! I’m so happy my girls are happy and I’m absolutely thrilled with the dresses. They will look gorgeous on all my girls!

3. We have tuxes picked out! My dashing fiancé chose his tux (he is going to look so handsome and straight up sexy!) and he picked out his groomsmen tuxes. They too will look dashing!

Happy Thursday!!
<3 Mags

Three Things Thursday!

2011-08-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

1. I've been working out so much and it feels great!! I'm still not running as much (I'll get to that in a second), but I'm working with my trainer, and taking fitness classes and practicing yoga with my cousin. I've been praticing yoga for a while now at my nearby yoga studio, and recently one of my coworkers put together a yoga group at work! We had our first session this week and it's for an hour after work one night a week, mainly focusing on stretching, flexibility, breathing and relaxation.

2. T-minus ONE MONTH 'til the Disneyland half marathon! Yesterday I got an email with the "Final Race Instructions" and thought, 'Holy cow, it's nealry here! Have I been training? Not so much.' I'm so excited about it though, especially since Sean and I ran the Disneyworld Half in Florida in January! But I will need to implement some kind of walk/run ratio, more heavily weighted on the walk portions. Which brings me to #3...

3. I have a training plan! Enough whining from me about how I don't have enough time to run. I am going to make time even if it's only for 2 miles. I like to follow a plan because it keeps me focused, so I put together a very simple 10-week training plan with runs 3x a week: Mon & Wed - easy runs, Sat - long run

It's pretty simple and I have confidence I can make time for the miles. When I built this plan yesterday (after receiving the Disneyland email), I scoped out the calendar and the Long Beach Marathon happens to be 10 weeks from now. So I am "training for that" but as of right now I have no intention of running it this year...but ya never know!

So that's that! Lots of activity, lots of endorphins, lots of happiness...and now, a lot more running!!!

Yoga for Runners Workshop

2011-07-26T13:53:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I participated in a Yoga for Runners workshop at my yoga studio with my favorite yogi. The idea of the 2 hour class was to strengthen what is weak (such as hip adductors) and stretch what is tight (such as glutes and hamstrings), while focusing on balance and similar motions as running. All this contributes to more efficient and effortless running.

I mentioned the motion of running…by this, I mean directing energy forward. As runners, we want to keep our legs and arms moving forward and back, not side to side. In Vinyasa yoga, there is something called a sun salutation, which is a series of poses done in succession so that one pose flows into the other. One of the first poses in this series is bringing our arms out to the side and above our head, then performing a swan dive hinging at our hips and bringing our palms to the ground. In this Yoga for Runners workshop, the sun salutation was adjusted for runners by raising our arms in front of us instead of out to our sides, focusing on forward-moving energy. This was suggested as one the warm-ups to do before a run. Here is the sequence of yoga warm-ups to perform before a run:

After doing this sequence, my muscles felt warm and ready for a run! It was said that you can do it once or thrice or as many times as you want until you feel warm-ed up. Unless you're super tight, once should be great for a pre-run warm-up. Then we did a series of strenghtening yoga poses, each one focusing on forward energy as opposed to side-to-side motions. We practiced for about an hour and a half before we began our post-run cool-down:

I've been praticing yoga for a while now, and with each practice I discover something new about myself, sometimes physical sometimes emotional (and many times both). I love yoga, and I think it's so beneficial for runners because when we run, our muscles tighten and shorten. Yoga helps to stretch and strengthen, which is a huge added benefit to running. This running workshop was sensational because it really emphasized that! I learned a lot, strengthened my body, focused on my breathing to steady myself for a challenging yet effortless practice, and learned how to focus that energy into running motions.

Do you practice yoga? What are some of your favorite poses? Least favorite?

Mix, Mix, Mix it Up!

2011-07-15T14:49:00.000-07:00

We are officially in our house! It’s such a great feeling and it really feels like “home.” One of my favorite rooms (who am I kidding, I love every room!) is the kitchen because 1) I love to cook, and 2) it’s a gathering area for company because it flows into the dining room and living room.

Something I wanted for, oh, probably the past 8 years was a Stand up KitchenAid Mixer because you can do EVERYTHING and make ANYTHING with it--cookies, brownies, bread, cakes, mashed potatoes, pasta with the pasta attachment, juice with the juicer attachment, ice cream, etc…the possibilities are endless! Don’t you want one too? :)

So when Sean and I built our registry, that was one of the first things to go on it! Well, for my birthday last month, my parents surprised me with the chrome KitchenAid to match our stainless steel appliances!! I am absolutely in love with it!!

I haven’t used it yet because we’ve been moving and unpacking, but I do have a delicious Blueberry Crumb Cake recipe, courtesy of Ina Garten, I plan on making with my fabulous chrome KitchenAid mixer. The Barefoot Contessa always has delicious recipes and I can’t wait to make this one.

What are some of your favorite recipes?

On the workout front, I trained twice this week with my trainer, who kicked my @$$ both times…I love it!! And Sean and I got a nice 2-3 mile walk in last night in our new neighborhood. It was absolutely wonderful. What can I say, la vie es bon :)
This weekend I’m taking a cardio class with my cousin and then we’re going paddle boarding!! I’ve never done it and I can’t wait!!

Have you ever been paddle boarding? Any advice?

Have an awesome and active weekend!
<3 Mags

Life is Great!

2011-06-30T09:40:00.000-07:00

It has been two weeks since I last blogged and so much has happened!

I just celebrated my quarter of a century birthday, and my birthday weekend was spent moving into our house!!! BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!!! My family and friends helped me move, and man, if we never have to move again (which we probably wont!) I would be so happy! Moving is a pain in the butt. But it feels so great to have our own house…it’s feels like home :)

Just before the move, Sean surprised me for my birthday and took me to Vegas! I LOVE Vegas and usually go a couple times a year but hadn’t been in just about a year. I really wanted to go, so my fiancé, being the amazing man he is, took me to Vegas!! We stayed at the Hard Rock (super cool hotel) and lounged by the pool all day. It hit 113 degrees and luckily we had a cabana so we could escape into the shade if we needed…plus, our cabana had misters! Woohoo!

I’ve been working out a lot at the gym focusing on strength (arms, legs, back, shoulders, core), and my running is still sadly on the back burner. I’ll warm up on the treadmill, but I haven’t gotten a good “long run” in lately. Honestly, the days I’m not with my trainer, I’m either working (40-60 hours a week) or going to class. Any free time is spent driving to and from class, unpacking, or sleeping. If only there were more hours in a day… :) But I couldn’t be happier!

On another note, I can’t believe this weekend is the 4th of July holiday weekend!!! Do you have any exciting plans for the weekend?

Love,
Mags

Three Things Thursday!

2011-06-16T10:59:00.000-07:00

1. I’ve become a gym rat. I haven’t been runnning nearly as much as I used to, but I am going to the gym a lot and training with my trainer twice a week. I’ve definitely noticed an increase in my strength and more definition (especially in my arms which is a goal of mine), and I love it!

2. There are several books on my June/July reading list. One of the books I just downloaded onto my iPad is Tina Fey’s new “Bossypants.” I absolutely love Tina Fey, and everyone I’ve talked to about her book has raved about it. I also downloaded “Bitter is the New Black” by Jen Lancaster, which is my book club’s June book (I should probably start reading that!). And I’ve been re-reading the series “Song of Ice and Fire.” I read this series years ago, and even though each book is 1,000+ pages, I finished each one in no more than three days (given it was summer vacation and I had a lot more free time). They’re totally capitvating. The first one is “Storm of Swords” which I’m reading now. These three books are my June/July summer reading books.

3. Wedding update!! The bridal boutique I bought my wedding gown at called me and my dress is here!!! It took 6 months just like they said! I’m going on Saturday with my mom to try it on with my shoes and jewelry! I can’t wait!!!!!!!!!!!! I still have plenty of time, so I won’t do alterations for another couple of months. But just to try it on, my wedding gown, not the store’s try-on gowns, but my gown. I. AM. SO. EXCITED. :-D

Happy Thursday!!!
<3 Mags

I'm a Sucker for Race Challenges!

2011-06-02T12:16:00.000-07:00

I am a complete sucker for race Challenges and their medals!
Challenges like the California Dreamin’ Racing Series which I completed in 2010 (now the Beach Cities Series) and Disney’s Coast to Coast Challenge which I will complete after I run the Disneyland half marathon on September 4th this year!

Today I received an email from the San Francisco Marathon introducing their new challenge – the “You can HALF it all!” challenge! Here is the description:

Run the 1st Half Marathon and 2nd Half Marathon in 2 consecutive years, and pick up a special Half it All Challenge Medal at the finish line!

Now you can Run the Golden Gate AND Cruise through the Haight, covering all 26.2 Miles!

It's pretty darn tempting! Right now registration is $105, which isn't too bad, relatively speaking. But then add the cost of the flight, and we're starting to get a little pricey. I want to do it, but with our new house (mortgage!) and wedding, I don't know if I should.

What do you think about racing series and challenges? Love them or hate them?

National Running Day 2011!

2011-06-01T14:22:00.000-07:00

Happy National Running Day!!!

If you want to celebrate, lace up your shoes and head on out for a run! Or for some more ideas, check THIS out.

I run because:

It makes me happy! I love it!
I love to eat. I enjoy good food (and wine) and running allows me to continue enjoying this.
It's good for my health. Running is good for your heart, lungs, muscles, etc. Running is good for you.
It's a great time to think. It clears my head and I get some of my best ideas while out on a run. Sometimes I will put together my "to-do" lists for the day/week :) And other times I will just let my mind wander and enjoy the scenery.
It gives me tons of energy. After a morning run, I have constant energy throughout the day until I go to bed.
I'm very goal-oriented, and it's fun to have a goal for running. It can be a goal time, a goal distance, a goal race, or a goal place to run...anything really. It's exciting to set a goal and achieve it.
Two words: Runner's High. There's nothing like it.
It makes me feel good about myself. I love the way I feel and the way
The commraderie! Running with my friends is always a blast! And I've met so many inspiring runners and athletes through blogging and tweeting. It's incredible and I am so grateful for that.
I run because I can. There are so many people who can't. To be able to is a gift, and I don't want to take that for granted. I am thankful for my health and my ability to run.

Why do YOU run?

Fashionista Grandma + Hills + Trainer!

2011-05-31T08:53:00.000-07:00

Every morning driving to work, I see this little old woman out walking in my neighborhood. She has to be in her 70s at least with snow white hair. I find her completely adorable because not only is she speed walking, but she’s a speed walking fashionista! This morning she was in a beautiful leopard print coat with white pants. Over the holiday weekend I saw her wearing a stunning pink blouse with a gold blazer. One morning I even saw her walking in a fur coat! And to top it off she always wears these flashy gold earrings (I’m not a fan of yellow gold, but these are beautiful). This lady has style, and furthermore rocks it when exercising! It amazes me.
I can guarantee I won’t be wearing leopard coats or gold blazers when working out, but I hope that at her age I can be as active and fun as this lady is!
This morning I had a butt-busting workout with my trainer. I ran hills yesterday (how wonderful was it to have a 3-day weekend?!), so my legs and bum were quite sore today and of course my trainer had me doing a ton of squats and lunges. I also did a lot of arm work today – bench presses, biceps, sit-ups with shoulder presses – and it felt great!

What activities did you do over your 3 day weekend? Or this morning to get back into it after the BBQs and beers over the weekend?
Happy Monday!

Happy Grad-Aversary!!!

2011-05-18T12:07:00.000-07:00

Three years ago today I graduated from Manhattan College, a small private school in New York. Where has the time gone?! Living in NYC for 4 years was the experience of a lifetime, and I am so grateful to my parents for giving me that opportunity. I had the BEST time living in New York. I grew as an individual, an academic, a friend, and became a confident young woman ready to take on the world.

I was fortunate enough to live with 7 incredible girls all four years of college…yes SEVEN, 8 including myself! These girls became my sisters and helped shape me in to who I am today. We always had so much fun together whether it was making mojitos on our townhouse steps in the spring or staying up until 3am cramming for finals (or being out and about in the city till 3am!) No matter what it was we always had fun!

To my 3219 girls, I love you all so much! I can't wait to see you this fall when I'm out there, and of course in the winter for Sean's and my wedding!!!

<3 Mags

MBA --> MIA!

2011-05-10T09:51:00.000-07:00

I know I have been MIA lately and for that I apologize. Life has become so busy especially because the spring semester of my MBA program is coming to a close, which means I have been chin deep in papers and projects, and of course, studying for finals! This is the last week of classes and next week are finals. I can’t wait until May 19th when my last final is done!! After which I will have 12 days of free evenings before my summer classes commence. (I’ve elected to take classes year round so that I may complete my program in 2 years, since I work full time and take evening classes.) It definitely is a lot to juggle-work, classes, study group meetings, review sessions on weekends, planning a wedding which has been the best!, trying to stay involved with the Board I sit on, and of course trying to fit in “me” time to run and workout). But I am having fun and all those long days/nights will totally pay off!

Unfortunately running has been put on the back burner.

Lots of this....

Leads to this :(

I’m running once a week (compared to a year ago when I was running 4-5 times a week), but I am working out with a personal trainer twice a week so it kind of makes up for it. I definitely see an increase in my strength and endurance, and I notice that when I do run, I can run further more easily. Hooray for strength training! I will incorporate more running into my routine, but it is challenging when I wake up before 5am, work all day, go from work straight to class and don’t get home until 11pm (sometimes later). I'll get the hang of it :)

How do you find a balance between all the aspects in your life?

Ghost of Injury Past

2011-04-13T08:33:00.000-07:00

I knew when before I declared it that 100 miles in April was a lofty goal. I even admitted it was. And considering my mileage since the beginning of the year has been low, it was not only a lofty goal, but kind of stupid….at least according to my IT Band.

Sunday marked the one-third point of the month (and after my 9 miler, I would hit 30 miles thus far for the month, or 1/3,…right on target to hitting 100). I headed out Sunday morning around 7am for a 9 mile run. It was beautiful out. Sunny and perfectly clear, but not yet hot. Miles 1, 2, and 3 ticked by and I was holding a 9:30-11 min pace! 9:30??? Yep! Go me!! Anyways, after mile 3 my knee started to ache so I slowed down and incorporated some short walking breaks to alleviate the pressure on my knee. The pain subsided and I was feeling good again…until mile 6…

All of a sudden that dull achy pain turned into a sharp burning pain. The only other time I experienced this was when I pulled my IT Band last year. Well, there it was, the ghost of injury past coming back to haunt me. I should have known better than to increase my mileage as much as I did. And why oh why did I decide to run 100 miles this month?? Again…lofty/stupid.

The last three miles of my 9 miler consisted of me hobbling down the street back to my house. The ratio was reversed now…more walking…little running. I had a sports massage scheduled for that afternoon and I was so looking forward to having my IT Band worked on. There was no way I was going to be out of running like I was last year. That was miserable.

My sports massage was great. Man oh man was my IT Band tender! My hip flexors and adductors too! Yowers! Anyways, my masseuse worked on me and it hurt like hell but felt SO good afterwards!

Monday my IT Band was feeling good. No knee pain. Around the afternoon however, my knee started to hurt. By the time I walked down to my car I was limping and screeching in pain. I couldn’t walk one foot without a blinding pain shoot through my leg. I hobbled the 200 yards to my car stopping along the way to rest my knee, and once I was home I foam rolled then iced. I literally couldn’t walk or put pressure on my left knee. I remembered when I was in physical therapy for my ITB Syndrome last year, the day after was the worst…it would take about 24 hours for the deep massaging of the muscle fibers to set in and then the soreness would sink in. Ugh.

I took Monday and Tuesday off, and today my knee is feeling much better. I have an appointment with my trainer tonight, and I’ll make sure to take it easy. As for my “100 miles in April,” that obviously will not happen. I’m not going to risk injury. Instead I’m going to cut it in half and shoot for 50. Maybe 60 next month, 70 the following, and so on and so on? I’m not sure. But for now I’m going to aim for a few 2-3 milers during the week and a 4-5 miler on the weekend and hit 50 miles for the month. Ghost of ITB Syndrome past…it’s time for you to move on now!

What do you do to prevent or nurse injury?

Seal Beach 5K Recap

2011-04-11T20:27:00.000-07:00

On Saturday April 2, I ran the Seal Beach 5K with two of my dearest friends. Lisa and I ran the 10K last year and had a blast!

Seal Beach 10K, 2010

We signed up for the 5K this year, and Lisa's husband decided to run it too! He and I have been friends since forever (I was the best man in their wedding!), so it was fun for us all to get out and run. It was a perfect Saturday for running...cool and overcast.

Seal Beach 5K, 2011

We cruised down to Seal Beach, and walked over to our corral. I had been texting with Kristy a few days before the race and we decided to meet up if we could. As David, Lisa and I were walking over to our corral, I immediately spotted Kristy's bright orange jersey and LA Marathon visor! She was running with her friend who was running her 1st 5K!

I went back over to our corral and the gun went off. It was David's 1st 5K so we decided to keep a nice easy and steady pace. David has also been fighting the flu that week and on race day had a 100 degree fever! How he still ran, I don't know! Rockstar.

We ran at about an 11-12 min/mile and talked the whole time about everything and anything. The first mile was a little crowded but soon thinned out. We hit mile 2 and I was feeling so great. I asked David how he was holding up with his fever and if he wanted to walk and drink some water, and to my amazement he said he didn't need to stop because he was feeling very good! At the water station we did grab a cup and slowed to a jog as we drank. Like I said, this was David's first 5K and first organized race, and he was pumped when he crunched his water cup and threw it! First water cup! Wahoo!!

Around mile 2.5 David said he was starting to feel light headed...BUT with 0.6 miles left he didn't want to walk or even slow down. We actually picked up the pace a bit to get to the finish sooner. As we turned the corner and saw the finish, Lisa and I took off in a hard sprint to the finish! After crossing the finish line, we turned around to see how David was doing and realized he already finished! He too sprinted across the finish line. Go David!! First 5K complete!!!

We clocked our finish at 36:16 which we all were super happy with! Congrats David on finishing (and kicking butt) on your first race, and with a 100 degree fever no less!!!

We grabbed water and some oranges, and took this gem:

The Seal Beach Run is such a fun run and I look forward to running it in the future!

xoxo

2011 Races

2011-04-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!
In recent posts I've written about focusing on 5Ks and maybe 10Ks this year, which is still my plan! I've found some fun races, and there are definitely more I'd like to register for to hekp fill my year. For now this is my 2011 race schedule:

Disneyland 1/2 Marathon -- January 8 (DONE!)
Seal Beach 5K -- April 2 (DONE!)
Saints on the Run 5K -- April 9
PCRF Cinco de Mayo 5K -- May 1
Palos Verdes 5K -- May 14
Billy Goat Hill Climb 1/2 Marathon -- June 18
City of Cypress 10K -- July 23
Disneyland 1/2 Marathon -- September 4 (I'll complete the Coast to Coast Challenge!)
Chapman 5K -- October 15
LB Turkey Trot 5K -- November 24

I threw in a couple 1/2 Mary's (Disneyworld I ran with my fiance! It was his first and we had a blast!) but for the most part it's 5Ks. It should be a fun running year :)

That's all for now!

Goal: 100 Miles in April!

2011-04-05T10:12:00.000-07:00

My younger brother’s friend is a big fitness dude. He majored in Kineseology and now works for a company training elite athletes as well as amateurs and youths. His goal for March is what inspired my goal for April, which is to run 100 miles. I realize this is a very LOFTY goal for me, but I am conviced I can do it...or at least get pretty darn close!

I will tick each mile off as I go. Thus far I have 10 miles on the books :)
So I actually drafted this post yesterday morning to post today, and last night my friend Kristy told me about something going on with Dailymile.com this month...they announced a challenge called "100 Miles in April" How coincidental is that?! I'm taking this as the universe telling me to get on board with this challenge and DO IT! So let's do it!

Cheers to 100 miles in April!!!

Our 1st Wedding Tasting!

2011-03-31T21:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Sean and I went to our first wedding tasting! My parents came with us and we all had a blast! Our fabulous wedding coordinator also met up with us...I absolutely love her!

It was a very cool set up. The evening was basically a mock-wedding: cocktail hour followed by dinner. We began with tray passed hors d’eouvres during cocktail hour. All were absolutely scrumptious – coconut shrimp, beef wellington in a puff pastry, chicken spring rolls with a peanut sauce, crab cakes, etc. A couple of them, however, were large and during cocktail hour we want a yummy that is one or two bites. The ones we decided on are mac-n-cheese lollisticks (mac-n-cheese is Sean’s and my favorite food, well for me ANYTHING with cheese really, but definitely mac), and crab cakes...YUM!!

After the “cocktail hour” we were escorted into their “reception room” where the food was served buffet style in silver chafing dishes. Here are some of the delicious courses we tasted:
- Wild cherry salad with macadamia nuts
- Mediterranean chicken with mushrooms and artichoke hearts
- Zucchini lime chicken with a lime zest beurre blanc sauce
- Vegetarian rotolo (almost like a veggie pie in a pastry-like pasta...quite delish!)
- Filet mignon with three sauces

Sean and I decided to split the courses so we could maximize space on our plate! For example, he chose two chicken dishes and I chose the other two and we shared.

After a decadent and downright scrumptious dinner tasting, they brought out the cake samples! There were eight to taste and we did the same sharing thing we did during dinner…Sean had four and I had four and we shared. They were DIVINE! We definitely gravitated towards some more than others (i.e. white cake with peanut butter filling…peanut butter is another thing we both absolutely LOVE and can’t get enough of). We will have a multi-tier cake and have for the most part decided on the cake and filling for each tier! We’re both super excited!!!

We had so much fun at the tasting and choosing the courses we want and don’t want served at our wedding. It made us even more excited to get married (if that’s even possible!)!!!

Lots of love :)

Saturday's 5K + 1st Wedding Tasting!!!

2011-03-30T10:37:00.000-07:00

This Saturday I’m running the Seal Beach 5K with two of my best friends. Last year Lisa and I ran the 10K, but this year we decided to go with the 5K since neither of us have been running as much as we were this time last year. For me, this race is not about “racing” but about going out and having a fun run with two people I love! I’m not looking to PR (I need to work back up to my current PR of 30:04 at LB Turkey Trot 2010), but it should provide a good sense of where I’m at now and how hard I need to work to achieve a PR. It’s just going to be FUN!!!!

On a wedding-related note, Sean and I are meeting with our caterer tonight for a preliminary tasting! Of course closer to our BIG DAY we’ll do another tasting to narrow down and choose our entrée options. Oo the ~~fun~~ yum stuff (food and wine!)! I know it’s going to be a blast! Delicious food with the best company! <3

Happy Wednesday!

Building my base with a plan!

2011-03-24T11:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I found myself toying with the idea of running Long Beach again, even though my focus is not on longer races this year. I started thinking about running the LB ½ again for redemption, because I TOTALLY hit the wall last year (I did finish though!). Worst.Race.Ever. But then my vivid imagination ran wild with that idea and I started thinking about running the full! I thought about it to the point where I actually built a training plan…a full fledged full marathon training plan. Hmm.

Reality soon sank in when I saw some midweek runs of 8+ miles. I don’t have that kind of time. Between working 40-70 hours a week and going to grad school 6 hours a week + allotting an additional 8-10 hours of studying, my “extra” time is quite limited. My free time right now is mostly spent planning Sean’s and my beautiful wedding (we just got our invitation proofs today and they are G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S!!!), then getting some runs in and working out with my trainer, and maybe hanging out with the fam and friends. Where would I fit a midweek 10-miler in?! I wouldn’t.

I realized what was behind this drive (aside from the fact that I indeed want to and WILL run a fully mary one day) and why I built a training plan for something I won’t do until next year (did I say that out loud? ;) ) Well, here it is: I realized I’m the kind of person who needs a training plan. I need a goal, something to work towards. Without a goal I’m just moving. I want to be moving towards something. It keeps my running on schedule with all the busy aspects of my life. It helps me focus and stay focused. With that said, I built myself a nice little plan for the next couple months. It’s what I call my “base-building” plan:

I have a couple 5K’s coming down the pipeline, two of which I mentioned here, and I just signed up for the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundations Cinco de Mayo 5K on May 1st which will be super fun! I’m also planning on running the Palos Verde 5K then cheering on Kristy, Penny, and Lauren as they run the half marathon!

Do you follow a running schedule or just go with the flow and run?

Sibling Run + Congrats to LA Marathoners!

2011-03-21T15:41:00.000-07:00

This weekend was incredible windy (winds up to 70mph!) and very rainy. Sunday morning, my bro and I decided to get a run in when the rain ceased for a bit. When we started it was wet outside but had stopped raining, and incredibly windy. There were many times along our run where gusts of wind almost stopped us in our tracks, literally. It was cold and took me a good mile to warm up and then I felt great. Then around mile 1.5 a torrential downpour hit us, and coupled with the wind it was coming at us full force, horizontally, and it was COLD! But we pushed through!

My bro paced me and pushed me to stay around a 10-11 min mile (my comfy zone is 11-12, probably slower now since I haven’t run more than 2 miles in a LONG time). We ended up running just over 4 miles in the rain and mostly against the wind, and sprinting the last bit of it. It was great running with my bro because he pushed me just enough to be a out of my comfort zone and not too much to the point of pain and injury. After our run we stretched and made a big batch of scrambled eggs. That totally hit the spot. I can’t wait until my bro is home from law school so we can run together more!

On another note, I want to congratulate EVERYONE who ran the LA Marathon this weekend! You guys had tough conditions and you persevered! Definitely respectable and totally admirable. And congrats to my friends Kristy and Jay for completing and their FIRST FULL MARATHONS!! Way to go guys!

How were your weekend runs?

<3 Mags

Happy St. Patrick's Day! + Another 5K!

2011-03-17T07:53:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Today I will be celebrating my Irish heritage with work all day and night class. Perhaps after class we'll grab a green beer :)

And I have another 5K on the books!

My company is sponsoring a local 5K on April 9th and graciously waived the fees for employees.
A 5K? For free? OKAY! You don’t need to ask me twice! I immediately signed up and now I’m running the Seal Beach 5K on April 2nd and the Saints on the Run 5K on April 9!
Heck, maybe I should find two more the following weekends since I’m already on a roll. If anyone knows of any 5Ks in the OC/LA area on April 16/23/30, let me know :)

That’s all for now. Happy St. Paddy's Day, and Run happy!

Three Exciting Things!

2011-03-15T14:39:00.000-07:00

There’s so much going on that I don’t know where to begin! I could probably write a long essay, so instead I am going to bullet today’s post and spare you the headache :)

1. As I mentioned in my last post, Sean and I bought a house!!!!! We are so excited!!! It’s actually quite a cool story, and one I will tell later. Sorry guys. But I will tell you this...we are remodeling the kitchen and redecorating, so I’d rather wait until it’s done and I can share before and after pictures.

2. Our wedding date can’t come soon enough! All the big things are done (dress, venue, photographer/videographer, florist, DJ, invitations, caterer, honeymoon)! We are so pumped!!!

3. On the running front, I signed up for the Disneyland 1/2 marathon in September! This will be my only long race, because a) I don't have much time to train and b) I want to focus on the shorter distances. I do want to run this race though because Sean and I ran the DisneyWorld 1/2 in January, and running Disneyland will complete the "Coast to Coast" challenge!

Happy Tuesday!!
Mags

Happy Fat Tuesday!

2011-03-08T15:29:00.000-08:00

Happy Fat Tuesday!!!!

Fat Tuesday refers to the "practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which begins on Ash Wednesday" (Wikipedia), which is tomorrow!

Tonight I won’t be celebrating Fat Tuesday with the indulgence of “richer, fatty foods” but rather with meeting my interior designer at my fiancé’s and my new house! We bought a house! Weeee!!! I’ll share more in another post down the road ;)
So what I am doing for Lent this year?

Last year I added meditation to my daily routine. In the past, I have given things up like alcohol (and during college no less!), sweets, etc. This year I am combining giving something up with adding something into my routine.

This year for Lent, I will abstain from:
1. Coffee (I usually have an espresso in the morning)
2. Chips (I don’t have a sweet tooth, but my lack of sweet tooth manifests in salt-craving form, i.e. chips!)

In addition to abstaining from both coffee and chips, I will:
• Run 3 days/week
• Cross train with my trainer 2 times/week
• Commit to at least 20 minutes a day of walking/running/cardio (even on “rest” days)
• Clean out my closet and donate clothes
• Clean out my bookshelf and donate books to the Library
• Add more vegetables to my diet (I already eat a lot, but I could eat more)
• Read a book for pleasure (this becomes a challenge with work & grad school)
• Donate $$$ to fight breast cancer
• Not shop online

Have a happy and safe Fat Tuesday, and happy Lent-ing!

<3

A couple 5Ks around the corner

2011-03-06T09:07:00.000-08:00

Earlier in the week I signed up for the Seal Beach Run. I ran it last year with Lisa (my Maid of Honor!) and we had a blast! It’s not far from my house so last year we rode our bikes to the start line, ran the 10K, and rode home. It was fabulous! We are running again this year, but instead signed up for the 5K.

A couple weeks ago I finally wrote about my 2011 running goals which is to "stop and smell the roses" – enjoy the year and focus on shorter distances like 5Ks and 10Ks. Needless to say I’m really excited to have a race on the calendar and with my MOH no less! And I think her hubby (I was his best man in their wedding!) will join us on the run as well!

I’m also contemplating whether or not I should run the Angels 5K. I ran it last year and loved it because runners get to run the bases at Angels Stadium and I'm a big Angels fan! It was awesome! I'm still not sure, so we’ll see…I’ll probably end up doing it :)

What are some races you have coming up?

A Peak At Our Save-the-Dates!

2011-03-02T06:30:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning I posted a few engagement pictures. I left one of my favorites out because I felt it deserves a little explaining…

A month and a half ago, my Grammie passed away. When I was going through pictures I found one of my favorites that I’d forgotten about. It’s a picture of my Grammie and her husband, my grandfather (he died before I was born), in 1959 at a State Park (I think in either Iowa or South Dakota).

I think it’s one of the cutest pictures I've ever seen. So when Sean and I were down in Laguna I really wanted to find a park sign and recreate this photo.

As we were walking back from the beach we saw a small park and alas, a park sign! Sean and I hopped over the bushes and this gem was taken:

We absolutely LOVE this picture and will be using it for our Save-the-Dates. Well, not exactly this one. For anyone who knows me and my fiance, we are always smiling, laughing, and being goofy! So we took this one too:

This one will be our Save-the-Date, and my cousin who took the photos has photo shopped our wedding information into the park sign. It looks fantastic! We couldn’t be happier, and I know Grammie is very happy and smiling down on us :)

On the running front (as this is a running blog!), I have nothing to report. Today is a rest day! I’m going into work early today because I’m leaving early to pick out our kitchen cabinets for our house!!! Weeeee!!!!!!!!!!! La vie est bonne :)

Happy Wednesday!

Engagement Photos! Just a few :)

2011-03-01T07:14:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago, Sean and I took engagement pictures. My cousin who is a brilliant film editor in Hollywood (Juno, Up In The Air, Love Happens, No Strings Attached) is getting into photography and was kind enough to take our photos for us. His wife is very creative too, and together they made an awesome team. Sean and I wanted something casual since our wedding is going to be more formal, so we decided to cruise down to one of the many little tucked away beaches in Laguna Beach. It was a gorgeous day, and we had so much fun! There were a ton of pictures taken, but here are a few of my favs :)

I love this man and I can't wait to marry him in 9 months!!

On the running front, this morning I went for a 30 minute run. I woke up and didn't feel like venturing out into the 40 degree weather, so instead I hit the treadmill for some intervals. It felt great and I made sure to push myself harder at the end....gotta build those negative splits right?!

Happy March everyone!!!

Stop and Smell the Roses

2011-02-13T09:33:00.000-08:00

This year is going to be my year of enjoyment. With my Grammie's passing at the beginning of the year, I lost focus in my running. I had stopped running altogether. I recently got back into it, slow and steady, but I still didn't know what I wanted for 2011--did I want to focus on half marathons, train for my first full? I definitely would not be able to run the LA Marathon on March 20th like I planned a few months back because I hadn't been training. Did I want to run my first full at all this year?

Yesterday morning I went for a beautiful 5-mile run and the weather was unreal for February. 75 degrees and perfectly clear. I enjoyed the sunshine, the ocean, and of course my sparkly engagement ring which I can't seem to stop staring at :) I'm getting married this year! Weeeeeee!!!!!

Then it hit me. I am going to stop and smell the roses this year, to enjoy everything. I have no plans on the running front, and only one goal--to have fun. I will run small races here and there (5Ks and 10Ks) but I want to run to have fun, without trying to hit a target pace or specific number of miles.

I'm really excited about this non-goal goal! 2011 is going to be a memorable year!

I've recently taken up yoga, which I've always wanted to do, and I have to say I'm obsessed with it!
Work is very busy and I'm enjoying every minute of it. I can honestly say I love my job :)
I'm in my second semester of grad school and it's going to be a fun one! I already got my first marketing case and it's Nike!
And of course, this is the year I'm getting married to the man of my dreams and the love of my life :). And I know my Grammie will be with us in spirit (she sure loved Sean!)

So this year I am focusing on enjoying every minute of everything. In the famous words of Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." So remember to stop and smell the roses.

Cheers to a joyful and exciting 2011!

"Good Morning, Dear"

2011-02-02T08:59:00.000-08:00

This morning I went for a run for the first time in a while. My Grammie recently passed away, and it’s been a very difficult time for me and my family. She was the only grandparent I ever knew, and she was my namesake, which only made our bond stronger. As I write this, I can’t help but cry, but I am comforted by the fact that she lived a beautiful and healthy 92 years, and I am blessed to have spent all my 25 years with her. I went for a short run the day after she became my guardian angel, but I could barely put one leg in front of the other.

This morning was different. I told myself before bed last night that I was going to get my bum up and run. I did, and it was the best run I’ve had in a very long time. I hit the pavement just before sunrise, and as the sun came up it filled me with so much warmth that I knew Grammie was with me and saying “Good morning dear.” Instead of crying, I smiled so big that my face almost hurt. In that moment I realized how fast I was running and how strong I felt (I didn’t have my Garmin, but I would bet anything I was running an 8:30-8:50 mile, which I’ve never run…I’m usually an 11-12 min mile). I only ran 2 miles but it was cathartic and felt incredible.

I look forward to many more great runs this year and beyond.

Happy 2011 everyone! It’s good to be back in the running swing of things :)