29

Last year in my 20’s?!? The past 9 years have seemed to both fly by and go ridiculously slow. I remember being 22, fresh out of college, and wishing so terribly to be in my ‘late 20s’. I thought that I would finally be considered an ‘adult’ to others and respected more-so than I was in my early/mid 20’s. Well, spoiler alert: I honestly don’t think much has changed in terms of what others perceive of my ‘you’re so young age’, BUT my perception of what they think has. I don’t really care anymore. I embrace who I am, my capabilities, my strengths, weaknesses, and honestly- a ‘I don’t give a F*** what you think because I know ME’. Maybe that’s conceded, maybe it’s confidence, maybe it’s seen as a ‘bitch’ to some - I’m no longer fretting over what others think. So, there’s that. I am me and I will embrace myself and continue to grow/learn/challenge myself/ and love myself.

So, in honor of turning 29. Here are 29 things that I’ve learned/ done in the past year : )

1. It’s ok if not everyone likes you. What’s most important is that you like yourself.

2.Find your passion and don’t let anyone dull your fire. It will be hard at times and really f*ing tough and you’ll question yourself a lot, but don’t give up.

3.Love yourself. At the end of the day, it’s you so it’s imperative that you love yourself before you look to anyone else.

4.Give yourself a priority list. What are your priorities for the day, month, year, your life? I’m still learning what mine are, but knowing whether or not something is ‘hard priority’ or not has helped me let things go and move on. Focus your intention fully on what is important to you.

5.If something doesn’t bring you joy or isn’t a necessity, then why are you doing it? Somethings you have to do that aren’t necessarily ‘enjoyable’ like cleaning the bathroom or laundry, but other things like wearing clothes that don’t make you feel great or uncomfortable shoes. I’m just over that.

6.I love to cook and create in the kitchen. Cooking something from scratch is super satisfying to me and like running, it almost always brings me joy.

7.I love to sign-up and conquer really scary-to-me things. Maybe I’m considered a ‘thrill-seaker’. I like to think of it as pushing my boundaries. There is no better feeling that conquering something that you once imagined impossible. Last year, that was my MS Run The US 175 mile segment. This year, my 50 miler.

8.I’m learning to not sweat the small stuff. If I don’t feel like running, I no longer feel compelled to run. If I don’t feel like cooking dinner, well then I’m not going to cook dinner. Cold pizza sounds great. I used to hold myself to super high standards, but I’m learning to let those things go (and also- wow does it feel empowering to do so!)

9. Upcycling clothes is my jam. I used to LOVE to buy all the clothes, but upcycling is so much better for the environment and cheaper. I will definitely never purchase used gym/work-out clothes, running shoes, or everyday shoes —> the necessities ; )

——————————————————-Now for things I DID this past year!

10.I think my biggest thing that I did this year was go to therapy. It was really REALLY REALLY hard to make that step, but wow did it help me to finally break out of my anxiety/depression/ PTSD shell that I’ve been in for many years. I blogged about this more here if you’re interested.

11.Got engaged to my main squeeze! I blogged about this more here if you’re interested in that sort of thing : )

12.Ran my first ultra on a very queezy stomach and wanting to DNF halfway through. More of that here.

13.Fundraised over $10,000 for MS Run The US.

14.Ran 175 miles over 7 days for MS Run The US and crossed that finish line with my two favorite people. One of the best days of my life.

15.Put together and hosted my first 5k! Wow was that hard. Ha.

16.Started to do strength consistently three times a week AND switch up my strength training routines every 6-8 weeks. <— One of the biggest reasons why I think I’ve gotten stronger at running AND stayed injury-free.

17. Started to do things that I want to do, regardless if anyone else wants to join me. I would constantly feel the need to stay at home if that’s what Alex wanted to do, but I’ve learned that ‘doing me’ is also important. So, I did more solo hiking, cross country skiing, and longer runs and feeling less-guilty about it (although sometimes I do feel guilty).

18.PR’d the half marathon and broke 1:45. I never would have thought it was possible and I ended doing so without even setting my sights specifically on it!

19.PR’d the marathon. I was actually pretty injured (knee), so I scaled back my goals of breaking 3:45 and just decided to mainly enjoy the race. I ended up walking away with a 3-minute PR.

20.Started journaling and meditating. These two things have been HUGE for me to see growth and get me out of my depression-hole I’ve been in for years. I’ve loved finding the simple things in life really enjoyable and going on more runs without headphones. I’m more present and able to enjoy something simple as noticing the leaves falling, sipping coffee in the mornings, or the quietness of reading a book.

21.Weekly yoga. Even if it is just ten minutes, I LOVE this time. It’s helped me regain some of my flexibility that I lost and improved my strength overall.

22.Received my first Age Group placement at a half marathon!

23.Visited a new National Park, Capitol Reef!

24. Went backpacking in Rocky Mountain National Park

25. Paced Kristen (past MS Run The US alum) through the night miles 52-71 during the Run Rabbit Run 100 miler. She ended up finishing!

26. Played hooky at work and went to some pretty iconic Denver city spots, like Union Station.

27. Saw Celine Dion and cried because she was so beautiful.

28. Took part in the Honey Stinger photo shoot. Still one of my favorite memories, even if I could barely run since it was only 5 days out from MS Run The US relay. Ha.

29.Joined the Bib Rave community and found incredible, supportive people there. Finally a running community to be a part of!

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These are honestly my favorites posts, so if you’re interested here is a look back at 28.

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-Favorite way to celebrate YOUR birthday?

-I LOVE birthdays. Always have super high expectations and have normally been disappointed because I’ve relied on OTHERS to provide the excitement. This year, I’m doing ME. If their plans don’t fit ‘into my day’, then it doesn’t matter. I will celebrate MY way.

-Favorite cake/ ice cream / cupcake/ or candy to eat? Either black raspberry ice cream or cookies n cream. Love either TIramisu or coconut cream pie (not really a huge cake person otherwise). LOVE cupcakes. Preferably something with strawberry frosting. Sour Patch Strawberries, Swedish Fish, or Sour Green Apple Belts.

28

Happy Monday! I hope you had a GREAT weekend! I'll have a full race recap and breakdown of the weekend coming up this week, but I finished my 6th marathon on Saturday and got a new PR of 3:52. I felt absolutely fantastic the entire race and was still smiling (and passing A LOT of runners) at mile 25! I didn't quite negative split, but this was by-far my best feeling marathon ever. I finished 9th in my age group and 31st female overall. This was a pretty hilly course and I felt great the day after. Barely sore and actually fit in a slow recovery run of 5 miles (~11 min pace) and 5 mile walk too! 

Today is my birthday! I can hardly believe that I'm 28. I honestly wished to be in my 'late twenties' ever since I hit 21 and it's gone by so quickly. It's funny how for so long you always think that a certain age is considered 'old' and then as you age, that number just keeps increasing as you do ;) I'm such a type-A planner and it's crazy to think how my younger self depicted my life would be like when I was 28. I envisioned a completely different life (married, in a great career that I loved, living in a house that I own, potentially thinking about starting a family, living somewhere in New England, etc.) for myself and now, I honestly wouldn't change a thing. 

Sure, I've grown up a bunch, but it's amazing to me how I continue to grow and continue to not 'sweat the small stuff'. I still struggle at times, but comparing where I am to where others my age are is much less important to me now. I remember when my first friend got engaged, married, amazing career opportunity, bought a house, etc. and how jealous and put-down I felt (no one was putting me down, expect I was doing that to myself). I'm not sure if its because these big life moments just seem ordinary or I'm in a different place now (maybe a bit of both), but I'm getting better with just 'brushing them off' and focusing on me.

So, enough rambling. Here's 28 things I've learned thus far in my life:

1. I really love cooking. I love to bake/ create new recipes/ meal-plan and have a delicious meal that I made from scratch. 
2. My perfect Saturday night is staying home, cudding with Alex, Stella, and our kittens, with a meal that we cooked together and watching a movie (or catching up on House of Cards... we're on Season 4!!) I could care less about going out to dinner/ going to a bar/ eating take out. Not for me. 
3. I really love Pilates and Barre. I love how strong I feel after a hard class and the positive environment that they are!
4. I love spending time outdoors. Whether it's having a window open when it's only 50* out, walking the dog, or just sitting outside on the deck I just can never get enough fresh air. 
5. I have little patience for fake personalities. I'm such a positive polly and LOVE to be happy and positive all the time, but this is just something I have zero patience for. Authenticity all the way!
6. I am uber patient. Not sure what career is great for super patient people, but I'd probably be really great at it. Give me a skating class of whiny 3 year olds and I can rock it. 
7. I'm getting better at voicing my opinion. If I disagree, I'm more apt to be more vocal about it. Thanks to Alex for helping me find my inner voice (that's definitely something I've always admired about him- he stands up for what he believes in)
8. I LOVE our kittens to death. I haven't had a kitten in a long time and forgot how much pure JOY they bring you. I feel like my heart is going to explode every time they're snuggled up against me. 
9. I love to run and set goals and train really hard for something. My favorite thing about training hard and keeping a running log is looking back over all those hard workouts and difficult runs that you accomplished (one reason why I started blogging in the first place)!
10. Gilmore Girls is life. Always has been, always will be. It's my go-to when I'm ready to nap/ wanting to zone out/ cleaning/ running on the treadmill. It NEVER gets old.
11. I relate most to Monica from Friends mixed with Pam from the Office. I'm not exactly super OCD about everything (Monica..), but I am as nerdy as Pam is. 
12. I really love visiting our National Parks. Whether it's driving there/ hiking at the park/ camping. I love the history and the pure beauty that they bring. 
13. I no longer want to shove my feet into uncomfortable (but cute) shoes. Zero space in my life for things like that! Why can't they just make comfortably cute shoes?!?
14. I don't put on make-up everyday and I'm cool with it. Gone is the day where I need to look 100% put together. Life is too short. I still like getting dressed up and doing my make-up/ hair, but it rarely happens (at least all together)...
15. I've become much more adventurous. If you would've asked me to go sky-diving or hike up a 14,000' mountain ten years ago, I would've said hell no. But now- I'm up for so many things and truly want to experience it all. Life is much too short. 
16. If I want ice cream or some skittles, I'm going to. Gone are the days where I say no to sweets or never get dessert. I absolutely still watch what I eat and keep everything in moderation, but it's kinda crazy to go to Italy and not get a cannoli. Live it up!
17. Pizza and pasta are life. Not sure if this will ever change as I get older?
18. Kayaking is no longer evil and is actually pretty fun. Who would've thought that what I once feared-for-my-life is actually not scary at all? 
19. Mixed drinks just aren't for me. I had my fair-share in college and I think I'm good. I'll still enjoy a nice glass of wine or beer once in a while (i.e. ~3-4 times A YEAR), but it's not really something I'm "into"
20. Transferring your car lease to a loan is really time-intensive, but you feel super adult about it afterwards. 
21. Student loans suck. They are what they are. Maybe someday I'll know what it feels like to not have them anymore? 
22. Goods friends are really hard to find. If you find them, hang on to them for dear life.
23. OK or flaky friends are just not worth my time or energy. 
24. Less jewelry= better. Gone are the days where I would completely accessorize an outfit. Just a few solid, nice pieces are all I really need. 
25. Nice furniture is expensive, but worth it. That Casper mattress is worth every penny. 
26. Sunscreen is SO important. Not sure why I thought it was *cool* to bathe in the sun without it when I was 14, but I was very very wrong. 
27. Milestones are worth celebrating. Cat birthdays, Stella's half-birthday, the first time we moved in together, the day where I drove across the country to live in CO- all are important and remind us how far we've come. 
28. My people are my world. Supportive family/friends/animals are worth a lot and their advice/encouragement/ words of wisdom really are worth taking. 

Dessert last night...so good..no regrets!

Loving life.

What advice would you give your younger self? 

Favorite birthday? --> I had a Wild Thornberries party at the ice rink one year and that was amazing. My love of adventures & the ice blended...

I'll be celebrating the day with a cupcake/ yoga on the porch/ watching gilmore girls/ planting some marigolds! Alex is out of town and today's a rest day from running so doing the little things that I enjoy!