Hibernating for the Winter

The time is approaching for me to make my yearly pilgrimage back to the cold, snowy, wintery East Coast for the Holidays.  I'll be in NYC for a week and then Indiana for 5 days.  Being in California for 3 years my body has become wimpy and can't stand the cold, so for most of my time East I spend my days curled up in pajamas reading.  I am very selective about where I go and what I do when I venture out into the chilly weather but I do spend a lot of time catching up on my reading which I love.  With the addition of my Kindle I imagine that I will power through several books while staying warm and toasty inside.  Here is my list of books thus far:

1. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins- I'm currently reading the Hunger Games which is the first book and I am already hooked! This will be book 2 of the 3 book series and I bet I will get through this one and Mockingjay which is the final book 
2. My Life in France by Julia Child- The captivating story of Julia Child’s years in France, where she fell in love with French food and found her true calling. I love French food and am dying to go to France so this book should hold me over for a while until I save enough money. 
3. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood- This was the book for my last book club meeting and I didn't really even start it so I am going to sit down and finish it.   
 

Any other suggestions???

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

Once again my birthday was here and went away.  This year it was a lot more relaxing.  I took the day off, got a mani/pedi and didn't do anything too crazy or planned out.  I had a bday dinner with RSlo at our favorite restaurant and the next night RSlo made me an amazing dinner at home.  He made Beef Bourguignon and it was incredible. 

Both my RA's and my friend Kari made me red velvet cake so I've got lots of cake and this weekend I am going to tackle making an apple pie.  Overall I had a wonderful day and this year my goal is not get bogged down by the small stuff and to do more cooking and baking!

Nike Womens Marathon

I DID IT! I ran my first full marathon.  I still sometimes look back on the day in shock and awe that I was able to accomplish it.

For me running the race was a emotional experience, I was entranced with the 20,000 runners that showed up to race day and inspired by all of the women that ran alongside me.

Race start was 7am and RSlo, my good friend Kari and I got there at 6:30 am and stretched and warmed up .  It took me about 15 minutes to get up to the starting line and by the time I was up there I was ready to go and start running.  The first half of the race was super packed because all 20,000 were running the same course throughout San Francisco and the full and half marathon course split at Mile 11 and that's where it became a lot easier to run.   Here are my highlights during my 26.2 

Mile 3- I saw my friend Karla! She and I had been talking a lot about the race (she was doing the half) but we were realistic that with so many people running we would likely not see each other.  But as I was running in Fisherman's Wharf someone tugged my shorts and it was Karla! I was so excited and happy to see her.  We didn't chat for long but wished each other well and kept going! 

Mile 4- This was the first time I saw RSlo and Kari, they were able to take my long sleeve shirt.  They had a little adventure themselves as when they went to get the car out of the overnight parking garage they realized they couldn't until 9am!! I was due to reach mile 4 at 8 am, so they had to take a taxi to mile 4 and then cab it back to the start line.  Kari was adorable when she explained this to me, because she was really calm and I think she didn't want to freak me out.  

Mile 9- There were oranges!!! When you're running water and gatorade are nice, but the juice from the orange slices we got there were refreshing and the sugar provided a lot of energy.  There was a little boy holding a tray of oranges and he was the cutest little thing ever.  In addition to oranges I was able to grab a banana which helped a lot since I was cramping up in my stomach.  Almost immediately after I ate the banana the cramp was gone.  

Mile 11- the full and half marathon course separated.  Thank the lord! There were less people doing the full so I didn't have to navigate through people.  

Mile 12- My friend Kari is a redhead and when I saw her red hair at mile 12 I was hurting.  All of the aid stations by then were always inundated with people so I had been skipping some of them to avoid the crowd and I was starting to get dehydrated.  It also didn't help that I had downed a salt packet (it helps replenish electrolytes).  I was nervous that my muscles were going to begin to cramp up.  Kari began running and she had some orange slices for me and she was able to stop at the aid stations and pick up water for me while I continued to run.  She was with me when I ran through the 13.1 the halfway mark of the race, and was supportive. 

Mile 15- here I saw Rslo and my other friend Christy and her hubby Mike.  They were holding a sign that said "you do best", Kari told me that my RA's made the sign for me and I immediately starting crying.  I was really happy to have the sign and see my friends supporting me.  

Mile 20- Kari met me back on the course and by this point the race became mental for me.  I knew that I had 6 miles to go and that was really nothing compared to the 20 I had just run, but it would also mean that I had another hour of running to do!  Having Kari there really helped a lot. Kari came on to run and I noticed she had a sign on her back, the sign said "the race does not always go to the swift but to those that keep on running".  Anytime Kari was in front of me I read the sign and pushed myself more.  Kari had signs taped on the front of her.  She had emailed my friends and co-workers and had them write supportive notes to me.  She had 19 notes so she read 3 every mile.  This was one of the nicest things anyone had ever done for me and I was emotional hearing the words of my friends but also that Kari would spend time putting this together.  The notes really did help me through the end of the race as it reminded me that there were people rooting for me and wanting me to succeed and accomplish this goal. There were moments when I REALLY wanted to stop and walk as I watched others around me do so but these notes pushed me onward and forward.  I am forever grateful to Kari.

Mile 25 & 26- So the closer I got to the end, the more the race sucked.  I knew I was almost there, but I wasn't quite there yet.  By the time I got to 26 I had to say goodbye to Kari as they only let runners with bibs run the last .2. I could see out of the corner of my eye that Kari was continuing to run and I knew that this was the end and I had to pick up the pace. After every training run I sprinted at the end and this wasn't going to be any different.  My finishing time was 4:32:02.  RSlo was the first person I saw at the finish line and we hugged and I lost it.  4 months of training was complete and I had done it! Not to mention I got that lovely blue box.  A girl couldn't ask for a better day! 

I sometimes still can't believe I did it.  I am immensely proud of myself and it was such a rewarding experience.  I have to say that I could not have done it without the support of my friends and family.  My friends Kristy and Kari did endless training runs with me and gave me lots of wisdom and advice.  Rslo although a non-believer in the beginning always massaged my legs after long runs.  My mom always asked me about my runs and told me she was proud of me.  My friends Josh and Ali helped me find a 12 mile run when we visited them this summer in Nashville.  Thanks for believing in me! 

Less than 1 percent of the US population has ever run a marathon and I am so proud to be a part that of elite group.  People ask me if I will run another one and I am not sure yet, and I am learning to never say never.  But for now I am going to relish in this accomplishment!

It's Almost Here!!

In six days I will be running my first full marathon.  It's finally here!! 5 months of training all pays off.  My goal is to run my race in under 4 hours and 30 minutes and I feel ready that I can accomplish it. I am so excited for this race which is something I have never felt before in any of the half marathons I have done.

This final week of training has me running no more than 3 miles in each run and I will even get to do the elliptical machine at the gym which is my very favorite.  I got up to 20 miles a couple of weeks ago and although it was a bit of a rough run (we were experiencing a heat wave here in CA, and so it was not fun running in the hot weather) I made it through and I feel strong and prepared for the race.  I head up to the Bay area on Friday-I'm staying with a friend on Friday night and then up to SF on Saturday to check into my hotel, roam around the city, and check in for the race.  A good friend of mine will be running the last 6 miles with me as I anticipate those will be the hardest of the race and RSlo and a couple of my friends will be traveling around the city and seeing me at different mile points.  I really can't believe I am doing this! I will be sure to blog about the experience post race.  

I am also excited for this little lovely box I will get at the end of the race. 

The Best Anniversary gift ever!

I am in love....

RSlo got me this bad boy for our anniversary.  If you've been following my blog you know that it has been my DREAM to have a KitchenAid Mixer.  I love baking and my little electric mixer just hasn't been cutting it for all the tasty treats I like to make.  My jaw dropped when I found out this is what I was getting and let me tell you, I sit in my living room and stare at this amazing machine.  I am going to use it tomorrow to make cinnamon bread for RSlo since he will be back from Indiana.  We haven't seen each other for 2 weeks so it will be nice to have him back, but I am not going to lie, knowing that I was getting this mixer helped me cope with him being gone.  I have a wonderful bf!

3 years...

Disneyland- 11/2009

RSlo and I will be celebrating our 3 year anniversary on Sunday! My goodness I can't believe it's been this long, I still remember him calling me the night we decided to start dating and us talking for a while and then realizing that during the entire conversation he was standing in front of the dumpster near my my apartment building! Since then we always refer to our anniversary as "Dumpster Day".  I love him very much and he really is my best friend and I always enjoy being around him.  He's my biggest cheerleader and I've grown and learned so much being with him these past 3 years. 

Sadly we won't be together on Sunday since he is in Indiana with his family right now.  I'll be thinking of him a lot on Sunday and I can't wait until he gets back and we can celebrate together!

Stay in the positive

Thinking positive thoughts this week....

Hope you all will too...

Happenings

I'm in the midst of RA training, which is exhausting and fun all at the time same time! I love my RA's and I am looking forward to the year!

Heading to Vegas for a bachelorette party Saturday morning! Leaving RSlo at home while I paint the town red with my friends. 

My 16 mile run was amazing, I felt invincible, powerful and excited for my marathon!


 Will post updates on my many adventures throughout the next couple of weeks!

It's Amazing...

how you can run 9 miles over the weekend and feel like you are on top of the world and then run 6 miles a couple of days later and feel like you want to die....

On another note, I have incorporated swimming into my training routine.  I'll swim on days when I am supposed to cross train which is twice a week.  I had been not doing anything so I think swimming will only be positive.

Next up 16 miles on Saturday... yikes!

Diary of a Runner

Saturday I ran 14 miles, my longest run yet.  Here are the highlights:

• Running at 6:40 am you tend to see lots of creepers so I tried to stay alert.
• It drizzled for most of the run (not sure what's up with the weather when I run long distances).
• Miles 13 and 14 were the roughest, I had to keep telling myself I could finish.
• I ran out of water miles 13 and 14...
• I was surprisingly not as sore as I thought I would be the next day. 

Every long run gives me anxiety since it's distances I have yet to ever run.  While I am happy with where I am, I realize I still have a long way to go before race day and that scares me.  I also need to think about changing my diet, it wouldn't hurt for me to be a little healthier.

Pizza Night

When we got back from our trip RSlo and I decided to have a pizza night.  We bought a pizza stone at Target and got all the ingredients for pizza at Trader Joes. We each were responsible for a pizza and we put on music and made our pizzas.  It was fun to cook together and it was nice to be eating at home.  Before I took off on the trip I got a new oven so I was excited to be using it for our pizza.

RSlo making his bbq sauce 

Making my pizza- you can tell I was excited 

Rslo used to work in a pizzeria- he was showing off 

My finished product 

Rslo's pizza

The pizza's were delicious! Both had good flavors and we enough for lunch the next day.  After dinner we headed over to a friend's apartment for drinks and to see many of our friends we hadn't seen all summer.  It's been nice being back here in California!

Road Trip

My first road trip is completed! I had a fantastic time and it was nice having RSlo as my travel companion.  After Nashville we drove to Memphis and stayed over night.  I don't know that Memphis is going to be on my list of favorite cities but we did get to go to the Civil Rights Museum which was constructed next to the Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King was assasinated.  We spent about 2 hours in the museum reading about the history of civil rights in this country as well as the events surrounding Dr. King's death.  We were also able to see the room that Dr. King during his trip in Memphis when he was assassinated.  You can also walk across the street and see the room where it is believed that James Earl Ray sat when he shot MLK.  It was all really powerful and a great way to spend an afternoon.  In the evening we headed out to the Beale Street which is the Bourbon Street of Memphis.  There are a lot of bars and restaurants and  there is a lot of live music to see.  We ended up heading to BB Kings jazz club and listening to music which was nice since it was inside and air conditioned.  Memphis was blazing HOT.  It was close to 100 degrees during the day and cooled down to maybe 80 degrees in the evening.  We were melting but we had a great time.

We headed to New Orleans following Memphis and this was my most favorite place of the whole trip.  It was also really hot there but that didn't stop us from going out and enjoying the food, culture, and music of New Orleans.  From Bourbon Street, to Rebirth Brass Band, to jazz clubs we made the most of time in the Big Easy and lived it up!  I kept saying that I would live in New Orleans and RSlo agreed with me so who knows maybe that will be the next place we move to! 

Maple Leaf Bar where we saw the Rebirth Brass Band

On the trolley heading back from the bar

RSlo made a new friend with the conductor 

We had fun in the stores looking for gifts for our family 

So Handsome 

The room where this was taken was where this was signed

My favorite place in New Orleans! 

Beignets and Cafe Au Lait the perfect afternoon snack 

behind us is the Mississippi River 

Bourbon Street! 

After we left New Orleans we had a long haul for the next two days in an attempt to get to Las Vegas.  We left New Orleans at lunchtime and we got to Dallas where we stopped for dinner and then pushed on to Amarillo where we stopped for the night.  We slept in the car in the parking lot of a Walmart  (classy I know) but surprisingly it wasn't bad and actually comfortable.  The next day we kept driving and stopped in Albuquerque for lunch and then in Flagstaff for dinner.  We went out and enjoyed Flagstaff for the evening and it's a pretty cool town.  It was the first Friday and the town had an outdoor movie going on and many of the downtown establishments had drinks and appetizers, it was fun to walk around and see.  We spent another night in the car  (we looked up hotels but it was too expensive), this time not so comfortable as the last and by then I was ready to get to Vegas where we had a hotel and I could shower and be comfortable.  Vegas was not all that I expected it to be, and to be honest I wasn't impressed.  I'm not a big drinker anyway so the allure of drinking until you puke was not enticing and I don't gamble so I wasn't doing that.  We had a great dinner on the strip and walked around and then called it a night.  I am glad that I was able to go and see but it left me feeling "eh".  The next afternoon we had lunch in Vegas and that hauled the 7 hour trip back home.  I was happy to finally be home and not living out of suitcase.  We got home and celebrated the end of our trip with a movie night. We rented Invictus got snacks and drinks and enjoyed being back.  It's been nice having time back with out work but it is slowly ending as we begin work again tomorrow and the craziness of prepping for students to return ensues.  I also need to kick law school applications into high gear, which means finishing my personal statement and finalizing my list of schools.  But for now I will lounge and be lazy and organize my pictures from the trip.

Hoover Dam on our way to Vegas 

There's a bit of history for you 

Vegas! 

Bellagio Hotel 

The ending of our trip 

Water Show 

Last lunch in Vegas, he went out with a bang 

Summer Adventures Part II

I am finally back in California!!! I had an awesome vacation and it was so much fun seeing friends! I was bad about posting pictures so now I have some to put up and share!

NYC 

I grew up about 5 blocks from here 

It rained at the game 

We spent the day with my lovely mom! 

Indiana 

Had lunch with my friends from grad school, who I hadn't seen in 2 years! 

We went to the County Fair and I got to pet all of the animals, I was in heaven

The piggys were spooning 

Nashville 

Fitting that we saw this in Nashville (RSlo's hometown is French Lick, IN)

We went to a Blues Bar in Nashville to hear really great music 

Alie and Josh- Josh and RSlo have known each other since they were born and Alie is his lovely wife. They are really awesome friends 

Memphis 

National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis 

The Lorraine Motel where MLK was shot

When in the south you must have southern food 

BB Kings jazz club in Beale Street 

Diary of a Runner

Yesterday I did my longest run of yet...12 miles.  Today I am a little sore but feeling very accomplished.  We are in Nashville staying in with good friends and I knew I had to do a long run while we were there and I was worried about running in the heat so I got up at 6 am on Saturday morning and got down to the run.  I even slept in my running clothes to make sure it was easy to crawl out of bed and get on the road.  My plan was to do 6 miles out and 6 miles back to the house and it was easy enough that I ran down one road all the way there.  The first half was smooth, I had regularly run 6 miles so it didn't feel like anything I hadn't done before.  I recently bought a fuel belt so I had water when I needed it and I have a playlist for running on my Ipod.

The second half of the run is where things got interesting.  No sooner than did I turn around to start the second half did the rain come. Not a little drizzle, this was full on rain!  I thought about stopping, but I was reminded of my friend Kristy who once told me that if it rained during my race I would continue to run so I should run in the rain during my training runs.  She had a great point so I stuck it out and ran.  The only thing that was a little uncomfortable was that my pants were heavier since they were cotton and were soaked.  There were moments when I really wanted to stop but I pushed through.  Towards the last mile of the run, a white car drove by me and I realized it was RSlo! I thought he would have still been sleeping by the time I got back from my run, but he hadn't realized that I gotten up earlier to run so he was surprised that I was so close to being done. It was nice to have him there and right at the end of the run he was standing in front of the house and I was exhausted by then (and it didn't help there was a small hill I had to run up), so I simply focused on his tie-dye shirt all the way until the end.  I did the run in 2 hours exactly, which I was so proud of and I am glad that I pushed myself to do it!

I am super happy about my run.  I am getting into runs now which will be more that I have ever done before so every long run is a little daunting but I am staying motivated and positive.  I also need to start downloading more music because my playlist is only 2 hours long, and these longer runs will take a lot more time.

Summer Adventures Part I

I write this sitting in the living room of RSlo's parents home in French Lick, Indiana (it's a small town whose claim to fame is being the home of Larry Bird- the Celtics player).  We got in this afternoon after our fun filled time in NYC.  We met up in NYC, me coming from Boston where I had a fantastic time with my good friend from grad school Lauren.  We ate good food, watched Inception, (phenomenal movie if you haven't seen it) and just caught up on our lives post grad school.  We hadn't seen each other in two years so we had a lot of catching up to do.  From there I hopped on the Greyhound bus down to NYC (which took me back to my college days, since this was always my mode of transportation when going home) and experienced quintessential NYC summer: hot, humid, and increasingly disgusting the moment you stepped into a subway station.  RSlo and I went to a Yankee game on Friday night and got caught in a huge rainstorm in the middle of the 5th inning.  We were convinced the game would be rained out but by the time we got back to our apartment the game had restarted. The Yankees ended up winning 7-1.  At least the rain cooled off the heat. 

Saturday we headed to Long Island for an enagagement party for two of my good friends Karen and Josh. RSlo was a champ about the whole thing not knowing anyone except the couple who was getting married, but managed to befriend the fiance of the maid of honor and chatted with him the entire afternoon.  It was nice to see college friends and catch up although once again it was SUPER humid and hot.  Sadly I forgot to take pictures at the party especially since I had on a really cute dress and managed to do my hair really nice and makeup was done right.  I always like to capture those moments. 

The rest of our time was spent dodging the rain that came on Sunday and catching up with friends and my family.  We spent Sunday  evening having dinner with my mom and walking around the city.  I swear I notice that I am turning into my mom more and more with her quirks, facial expressions, and sarcasm.  The trip was super quick and we found ourselves leaving this morning for Indiana.  We're here in Indiana  until Friday.  I love spending time here because I really do get to relax and unwind.  I sleep a lot, read books and eat really well.  We're going to see some of RSlo's friends and go back to our alma mater and visit our mentors that are still there.  Before RSlo I didn't think I would visit Indiana at all after graduating and now I find myself coming back yearly and loving it. 

Next post I promise to include this pictures I have taken thus far.  I will try to be dilligent and post as often as possible. 

Versatile Blogger Award

I was bestowed this honor by the fabulous KingsMomma and now my task is to give 7 random facts about myself and then tag others.  Here goes:

1. I don't like plain chocolate, if I eat chocolate it has to have something in it (i.e. nuts, fruit, etc)
2. I LOVE Cheesy poofs, I can eat a whole bag in one sitting.  My favorite are the Trader Joes brand because they are reduced fat so I've told myself that it's a healthy snack.  
3. I envy those full time bloggers who get free amazing fashion sent to them and they take ridiculous pictures of themselves walking in fields with expensive clothing on.  
4. I've become a significantly better cook since I've been with my boyfriend. It's probably because I hate cooking for one.  
5. The most cranky I get is when I haven't eaten in a long time. It's not pretty and it's one of the first things I tell people I travel with.  
6. When I was younger I swam competitively and went to the Junior Olympics.  I was a backstroker.   
7. I have a finicky stomach but it never hinders me from eating whatever I want.  I just sometimes suffer with a bad tummy ache after.  

I tag...
Alie
Pauline
Lauren

SUMMER SUMMER SUMMERTIME

I am like a kid waiting for Santa to bring presents...I am quite excited for my travel adventure to begin!

For the last couple of weeks lazy isn't even the word to explain me.  I get up late, watch a lot of television, only shower when absolutely necessary (i.e. when I am leaving my apartment for more than a couple of hours).  I've been reading books, spending time with my friends and just enjoying myself.  I feel the way I used to when I had summer vacation in grade school: no obligations, responsibilities, just enjoying the summer.

This Saturday I am leaving for Boston and spending 4 days there visiting friends, then it's off to NYC and then  Indiana and finally the exciting road trip begins.  Today RSlo and I spent a couple of hours on Skype (such an amazing thing technology is) finalizing our road trip plans.  We booked hotels, looked at maps, made arrangements with friends, and now are pretty much set on this trip.  I'm really excited as I have never done anything like this before.  It is also pretty nice that most of the places that we are visiting will be new places for both RSlo and I.  I will try and blog about the places we visit and all the funs things we experience.

The other thing I will continue to keep you posted on is my running.  I am in Week 3 of my training schedule.  It took me a while to get motivated to start running,  and now I am in more of a routine.  I was pretty proud of my myself that I started day one with a 5 mile run and successfully completed it! Don't get me wrong I had some trouble walking for the next couple of days because I was sore, but the more I ran the less sore I was.  I am also really fortunate to have a few friends to run with that keep my runs interesting.  All in all I feel positive and motivated and dare I even say excited about this race.

Vacation: Party of One

I am unemployed for the summer and I must say that I am loving it!!

Once I was done with work I took a trip up to San Jose to visit friends.  I spent some time talking and catching up with my good friend Pauline.  She was telling me that recently she took a trip to Monterey by herself to recharge and relax.  I was really impressed that she did that, I myself have always been a wimp about taking trips alone.  I can eat in a restaurant, catch a movie, and pretty much do most things alone, but there has always been something about going on a vacation by myself that has seemed daunting to me.  Prior to my conversation with Pauline I had been looking up destinations to travel to alone but something always prevented me from making the decision to go ahead and do it.  Am I worried about the safety of traveling to a new place alone?  Am I concerned that people will judge me and think I am some desperate loser with no friends who has to vacation alone?  I am not really sure, but I know that I won't get over whatever stigma I think is attached to a solo vacation unless I do it.  I'm not sure when I am going to do it but I am committing myself to taking a solo vacation before the year's end.

I'll keep you posted when I figure out my destination...

IT'S HERE!!

How is it that it is already June??

How is it that I am taking the LSAT TOMORROW!

I'm ready to get this done and for summer to come!

Where would you go?

When I found this amazing contest to win two free nights at any Hyatt on the blog "Camels and Chocolate: Tales from a Travel Addict", it got me thinking about where I would want to go and why.  Immediately I thought Trinidad and Tobago since this is where my mom is from and while I lived there when I was really little I have no memories of it.  Once I googled whether there was even a Hyatt there (there is!), I decidedthat would be my place, because not only is it an amazingly beautiful place to go (I've seen lots of pictures of me there), but it would be insight into my family history, culture, and who I am.  My dream is go with my mom some day so that I could experience all the newness and excitement of meeting family, and seeing where she lived and grew up with her.  It would be our special vacation together and something that no one else but us would share.  We talk about doing it all the time, but one day soon we'll really make it happen. So the question remains: where would you go?


Check out the contest here:  Camels and Chocolate

Road Trip

Summer plans are slowly coming together! Here's what we've pieced together thus far:


End of June- Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks (no dates set just yet and no real plan of how long we will spend there) we end this part of the trip with RSlo going off doing some backpacking trips, and me heading back to SLO. 

July 18-22 Boston! I haven't been back to Boston in ages, but summer is my favorite time to visit (there's no snow on the ground then), and I'll be hanging with my good friend Lauren!

July 22-27 NYC! RSlo and I will be meeting up in NYC mainly to attend the engagement party of two of my good friends from college, but we will also be going to a Yankee game (we'll get to see the new stadium!), and just enjoying being in the city in the summer, which is something we've never been able to do together.

July 28- Trip back to California begins.  So far we know we will hit Indiana, (which always means a trip back to our alma mater IU) and Nashville, but there is some talk of going further south and maybe getting to Louisiana.  It'll be touch and go but either way I'm excited. Work begins again on August 12 so we'll have more than enough time to get back before then. 

Right now I am just counting down the days until students will be moving out!

How I feel....

Overwhelmed, tired, annoyed, over it....

That sums up my life these days, I feel like I'm a mess.

33 days until this awful test...

Eating my words...

Remember that post I wrote about running and how I didn't  think I would ever run a full marathon- if you don't you can read it here.  Well it seems that I've gotten the marathon bug because I was chosen out of thousands of women that sign up to run the Nike Women's marathon in October in San Francisco.  They get so many interested participants that they do a lottery every year, and it just so happens that my number was drawn. I think one of the reasons I signed up is that I didn't think that I would be chosen- (smooth move Alana!).   I am excited, nervous, and freaked out!  The cool part is that every finisher gets a Tiffany's necklace- which is probably the best finishers gift (most races give you a t-shirt, my last one gave a wine glass) I have heard of.

I will probably definitely devote a lot of time blogging about my training experience- I'll start right after I finish the LSAT in June.  Wish me luck!

No love for the blog....

My brain is on overload with logic games, reading comprehension and all things LSAT.... which means no time for my blog.

49 days until my test...

In happy news RSlo and I will be doing some sort of road trip this summer. Our job is only 10 months which gives us 2 months of free time! Some of the highlights will include Boston, NYC, Indiana, Tennessee. We're still figuring out the schedule and the course but I can't wait to see my friends in all of those areas! And by then I will be done with this horrid test!

Favorite Blogs

The more that I began blogging the more aware I became of other blogs out and there and began to love reading them. From cooking to fashion, there are so many amazing blogs written by (what I think are) really cool people. I thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorite blogs:

The Pioneer Woman- She posts some amazing recipes (a few of which I have used to make me look like quite the chef and baker) and she's got a great personality, that makes reading her blog a lot of fun. Be warned that this woman LOVES butter and is not afraid to cook with it. 

Stellina*Stellina- Cynthia is friend of mine, who I went to grad school with. I'm so proud that she is following her dream of pursuing a career in the wedding industry.  She loves all things weddings!

We are Not Martha- This was the first blog I began reading and really pushed me to become a better cook.  Their recipes and easy are delicious and you can tell these women really love food.  So from one food lover to another I love spending time at the end of my day reading new posts and printing recipes they've shared that I want to try. 

Cupcakes and Cashmere - I recently found this blog and I love it because I find myself a bit of a fashion enthusiast.  I wish that my wardrobe included so many of her pieces, but I do find inspiration to put together outfits from trends that I already own or are looking to purchase, from many of her recommendations. 

Derby Girl Blog - Lauren is one of my besties from grad school, and her blog is my way of keeping in touch with her.  She's quirky, funny, and has an unhealthy love for Coca-Cola.  She is now going to be a published author as she just signed with a new company called Paper Lantern Literature.  I am very thrilled for her!


These are a few of the blogs that I love and there are tons more that I am follow out there, so get out there and keep reading blogs!

My dream

Is to have this mixer! Oh the delicious treats I would make with this thing. It's $300 bucks and too much of a splurge right now. One day....

MORE SCHOOL

When I was younger I aspired to be a lawyer. Everyone who knew me knew that that was the path I had set out for myself and what I was going to do with my life. By high school I had settled on Entertainment Law as my specialty. I went to college and majored in Politics which I thought was expected and hated every minute of the major. I hated (most) of the students that were in my classes, I hated the reading we had to do, I simply did not enjoy any of it. What I did enjoy was being involved with the clubs and organizations that I participated in. From that I scrapped the idea of law school and went to graduate school and pursued a master's degree in Higher Education so I could work with college students.

Having been in the field for almost two years now I love what I do and the people that I work with, but there is a bit of emptiness which I attribute to not having pursued the thing that I loved and wanted for so long: the Law. Looking back I think I psyched myself out somewhere along the journey and started believing that I wouldn't be able to get into a good school and that I would not be ready for the law school rigor. Being older and I think a lot wiser, I know I wasn't ready because I was burned out and not passionate about law anymore, I needed to take some time and explore a new area to know whether going back to law school and being a lawyer was really something that I wanted.

So I've decided that it is and while I am frightened about studying for the LSAT's and doing law school applications, I also feel confident in who I am and the experiences I've had in grad school and the working world. I now know I am not doing this because I am scared to enter the real world as so many people do, but because it's been a dream of mine since I was little and something that I will be passionate about jumping into with everything that I've got. I'll begin doing intense studying for the LSAT, I am going to get a tutor (which is the most expensive thing ever) and I am going to look to study as much as I can and then based on my scores figure out where I will apply, wish me luck on this new adventure.

Time for a run

In a month I am running another half marathon! Because I've already done one, I am not as nervous as my first one and I am doing a lot better training for this one. I have some friends that like to run that I get to go on runs with, which helps keep me motivated. I hope to average about a 9 minute mile throughout the race which will heavily improve the time in which I finish this race in comparison to my first race. People always ask me if I would ever want to do a full marathon and while I think I could work up to it, I don't think it's something for me. Running is brutal on your body, which I am learning personally as my ankle gets sore and stiff every time I run, and I don't know that it's something I absolutely love doing the way some of my friends do. When I start a run, I am thinking about when it'll be over. I am proud of myself when I've completed it but the heavy breathing, sweating, and sometimes seeing stars because I am so winded is not the most fun. For me it's a great way to keep in shape and get outside. Maybe one day I'll get the full marathon bug, but for now I am just going to relish in the fact that I two working legs that allow me to do 13.1 miles.