2020- Goals for The Year

Happy New Year! I hope you had a safe and happy start to the new decade. I cannot believe that we’re now in 2020- doesn’t that seem so futuristic?!? Our wedding plans are in full swing- we’ve settled on the location, date, I have my dress, we have our DJ, we will be finalizing cake choices this week, finalizing flower options tomorrow, registry will be complete shortly, and picked out our photographer! We also have a dinner tasting at our venue tomorrow night to decide on what our two entree options for our guests will be (we most likely already know what they will be, but it’s going to be fun to go test it out!).

I have almost all of my races for the year planned out and am so excited to be getting a RUNNING COACH at the end of the month! I’ve decided that this is the year of ME- more confidence, more goal-setting & crushing, more following my gut, going into things with less hesitation. I’m putting my head down, working hard, and know that I won’t always have these opportunities (I am getting older too- yikes! 30 is just around the corner!).

SO, here are my unfiltered goals for the year. I keep them written in my planner so I can easily look back at them, check-in, and keep track of what I’ve accomplished!

Fitness Goals:

• Run a 100 miler (cat’s outta the bag on this one!)

• Run a sub 1:40 half marathon (carrying this one over from last year)

• Run a sub 3:28 marathon (carrying this one over from last year)

• Do 10 unassisted pull-ups in a row

• Check off one new race state

Hobby Goals:

• Read 25 books (for pleasure)

• Grow my blog to a larger audience

• 2k followers -> twitter & instagram

Life Goals:

• Become more social -> join a running group!

• Get married! YAY

• Speak up more & research when unsure of something -> nursing school has really helped me with this one already

Money Goals:

• Begin saving for building our own house (someday!)

• Begin saving for a new car

• Start retirement fund (I know, I know…totally behind on that one!)

School Goals:

• Above 3.5 GPA for Spring & Summer 2020 Semesters

• Pass NCLEX 1st time & become an RN (September)!

• Get a job in a critical care unit

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-What are your goals for the year?

-Where do you keep your goals written down and how do you like to separate them out?

-Anyone have experiences with running coaches?!? ONLY good ones I HOPE!

2019- 40 Photos Wrapped In Packages of 10

Happy almost New Year! I thought it would be fun to conclude the year with sharing some of my favorite moments from 2019 in the theme of 10’s (10 pictures, 4 themes, 40 photos total)- you’re still with me right? If not, just roll with it and enjoy the photos!

10 of my favorite experiences from the year:

• Getting 2nd female OVERALL at a 5k and a 2+ minute 5k PR.

• Getting to run and be in a podcast with former Editor-In-Chief of Runner’s World, David Wiley!

• Seeing this memorizing waterfall in Oregon with my mom.

• Checking off another 4,000’ here in New Hampshire that I hiked

• Setting a date for our wedding and getting to explore the outdoors with Alex this Fall.

• Going to my first RED SOX game!

• Having the strength, courage, & pure grit to decide to go back to school.

• Running 50 MILES through the heat, mud, rain, and hail

• Going to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival with my mom in Oregon!

• Collecting these medals (AND cowbell!) this year!

10 unexpected things that happened this year:

• PR’ing my half marathon by 5 minutes in March after running 7 miles beforehand.

• Running 28 miles ON MY OWN for a training “run”. Yeah, that was awesome and hard and totally exhilarating.

• Just how good Tillamook creamery ice cream really ice (you HAVE to visit their headquarters. So delicious)

• Getting 3rd overall female in a last-minute entry trail 5k (signed up that morning) the week before my 50 miler.

• How badass it feels to run in a sportsbra. Yeah, I did that more than once this summer ; )

• How incredibly humbling it is to go back to school and just how dang SMART nurses really are.

• Just how stunning the Pacific Northwest really is. I want to go back ASAP.

• How heartbreaking it can be to not perform to your potential at a goal race and also how really challenging it can be to run when you go to a big goal race by yourself.

• I realized that being close to family is so important and to cherish those memories we are fortunate enough to make.

• You can really actually wash your running shoes and they won’t disintegrate. That was a great lesson to learn after my 50 miler.

10 Lessons That I Learned This Year:

• How really great swimming is for you.

• How imperative it is to not give in even when you’re struggling. Keep going. Keep pushing. Keep pursuing your dream.

• How integral it is for me to slow down in the mornings. Journal. Stretch. Meditate.

• Just how dang hard pull-ups really are.

• Exercise is exercise. Get outside. Get active. Move your body. You’ll feel better for it.

• A challenging run = growth.

• Stop and smell the roses during your run (or kiss puppies). You only get one life.

• Diets are important, but also eat a darn donut every once in a while.

• It’s OK to be proud of your accomplishments and show off those muscles- you’ve earned them.

• Work hard. Stay humble. Practice gratitude. Know your potential and keep pursuing your goals no matter what others think.

10 photos from the year described by one word.

• Peaceful.

• Happiness.

• Quiet.

• CUTE.

• Grit.

• Distracting.

• #20

• Breathtaking (that’s one word- just roll with it)

• Rewarding.

• Love.

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-What are your favorite memories from the year?

-Give me 10 things that you accomplished this and describe them each with one word (no description!)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Goodbye 2018 & What I'm Most Looking Forward To In 2019!

Happy New Year! Did you stay up all night? We always make it to 12am EST (so 10pm our time) and then go to bed! We did celebrate with some pulled pork rice bowls for dinner and popcorn and some fresh baked cookies, but that’s about as crazy as it got around here. I also had the day off from teaching skiing yesterday (yay for first day off since Christmas Day!) and got to rearrange/ redecorate my ‘gym/office’!

ALSO I had the best chef’s salad on Saturday from Gondola Joe’s (located at the base of the ski resort) between teaching lessons. So amazing- definitely check it out if you come ski here!

I also celebrated yesterday with lots of kitty cuddles first thing in the morning. Heated blanket + coffee + kitties= purrrfect morning (see what I did there? ; ) …).

Looking back on my 2018 goals, I had a pretty great year!

• I ran a new marathon & 1/2 PR

• Raised $10,000 for MS

• Became an ultramarathoner

• Decluttered a lot of the spaces in our home

• Checked off one new race state

• Visited One New National Park

• While the beginning of the year I had trouble spending money on only needs, not wants- I feel like I did a much better job of it in Fall of this year

• I began crocheting again!

• I made two recipes from scratch

• I mostly incorporated yoga 1x/ week (sometimes I missed it, but overall much better than previous years!)

• Began journaling once a week!

Here are my 2019 goals!

• Work on owning my accomplishments and following my gut more. I really want to own everything that I’ve done thus far and to question myself less.

• BQ the marathon

• Run a sub 1:40 half marathon

• Run a 50 miler

• Save $5,000-$10,000

• Continue to purchase needs, not wants

• Crochet a blanket

• Run in one new race state

• Pay off one student loan

• Practice gratitude

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What are your 2019 goals?

How did you celebrate the New Year?!?

Feature Friday: TOP TEN POSTS IN 2018

Wohooo! We made it to Friday! Finally! I’ve got 6 easy miles on tap this morning and will be on the treadmill again since it’s going to be in the negatives (and I’m on Stella-duty early this AM before work). I’d also really love to skin up the mountain or go for a swim, but my schedule is pretty tight right now! Still a toss-up! I’d love to get in either one more hike session on the ski mountain or in the pool before we enter into 2019, but a new year is no reason not to make new goals and create new exciting schedules! Also did anyone else feel this way when getting a gift this Christmas (..obviously we feel this way on the inside because let’s still remain classy!).

This weekend is super busy for me with teaching skiing (tis the season), but it’s not so bad since I get to spend the entire day outside playing in the snow! I also have Monday (NYE) completely off, which is really exciting. I can’t wait! I have a million things I’d like to get done and will probably only get to like two of them. Ha. Anyone else think like this with to-do lists and days off?!? I’m all gung-ho until it’s the actual day-off and then I’m honestly pretty lazy! Let’s get to my top ten most-viewed posts this year!

Top 10 Posts in 2018!

10. The Post Where I Shared What My Training Will Look Like For Eugene Marathon!

9. The Post Where I Recapped My First Day of my MS Run The US Relay Segment #7 Where I Ran Up And Over Rabbit Ears Pass!

8. The Post Where I Describe What I’m Doing This Weekend In Memes

7. The Post Where I Share How I Fundraised $10, 581 for MS Run The US!

6. The Post Where I Share The Article On My MS Run The US Journey from The Summit Daily

5. The Post Where I Talk About The Importance Of Courage & Taking Time For Yourself

4. The Post Where I Share The Top 5 Songs On My Playlist Right Now

3. The Post Where I Share My Goals For MS Run The US Relay

2. My Entire Compilation of MS Run The US

1. Sharing My Tips To Mentally Crush That Last 10k of a Marathon!

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-Three things you’re doing this weekend?!? —> teaching skiing, running 6 miles, doing some yoga!

-What are your favorite memories/ experiences from 2018?

-Give me some of your GOOD NEWS! I love to spread good news and would love to hear what yours is!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! We are off to take advantage of the fresh snow (5”+!!!) we’ve gotten at the ski resort early this morning and then will do the whole present shebang (& get a run/strength session in) this afternoon! Only a few more hours that our tree needs to last before it will be taken down (it’s definitely dead by now- Brady refuses to share any water with it)

Also- so accurate. 

​Kicked off our Christmas Eve with homemade cinnamon rolls from Hungry Runner Girl’s blog. We split the recipe in half and they were so tasty! 

​​6.5 easy miles in the afternoon on the treadmill (it’s been super icy out lately and I didn’t feel like slipping my way through 6 miles) 

I’m so grateful to have such a great community of you all and thought it would be fun to share 10 things I’m most grateful for this year. I also journal every night with 10 things I’m grateful for that day (anyone else do this)? I love how it really puts everything into perspective.  

1. My health
2. Alex & our little furry family
3. The beautiful area we are lucky to call home  
4. Running!  
5. Cooking  
6. My family that continues to love & support me from afar
7. This blog!  
8. Running opportunities this past year
9. Heated blankets (sitting with one right now and I’m not really sure why anyone uses regular blankets in the winter?!?) 
10. Sour candy. Thank you to my mom & grandmother that supplied us with enough sour candy to last us a month AKA it’s basically already gone).  

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Tell me some things your grateful for this year!  

Favorite sour candy?!? 

Any fun Christmas traditions?