The desires of my heart...

Today seemed as good a day as any to post the next segment of the 10 Day YOU challenge (which has taken me a ridiculous amount of time to finish). I think I have "TBS" (tangential blogging syndrome). Anyway, I'm finally at "2" so it's all about the two things that I want...

I'm going to make this completely materialistic. I could spend a lot of time talking about wanting to be a stronger, faster, injury-free runner etc etc, but I talk about that stuff often enough already. Instead I'm going to talk about the top two things on my running "wish list", which I update regularly in case my family or friends decide to buy me random gifts. Surprisingly that hardly ever happens, although my twin sister & brother-in-law did give me a random "I'm so proud of you for sticking with the running" Amazon gift card once. Sooooo just in case anyone else so inclined is reading this post, here goes....

"And if you don't know, now you know..."

It's been a long time since I've done the 10 "Day" YOU Challenge... several weeks I think. It's safe to say that putting day in quotation marks from the beginning was a very smart move. Anyway, this installment of the 10 "Day" Challenge is dedicated to 3 lessons I've learnt since I started running.

Friday Favorites & Day Four of the 10 "Day" Challenge...

My schedule seems to be "off" this week. Today is my usual running day, but a few things have altered my "usual" activities so I didn't run this morning.
It's the week before Christmas (& the week before the start of my vacation) so things have been busy at work, but in the midst of the flurry of activities I finally found my Christmas spirit!

10 "Day" YOU Challenge: 5 Movies

It's been 3 weeks since my last 10 "Day" Challenge post. Between training, tapering, and recovering it's been a busy couple of weeks. But, better late than never so here goes...my 5 Movies!

The Last Long Run & My Six Songs...

This morning was home to the last long run before my final half marathon of 2014. It was a struggle. I'm not sure what's going on with me lately. That's not true...I kind of know...but I really need to figure out a way to stop being my own worst enemy...

(the "anyone" referenced above includes myself)

The scenery on the beach this morning was overcast, windy, chilly, and beautiful...

The end result of my run...

I started to feel left lateral knee pain during mile 4 and so I slowed down a lot (from 4:1 to 2:1 intervals). I was going to stop at 5 miles and just "call it a day" because I'm actually tired of having to deal with knee pain when I run [feeling frustrated]. Then I decided to "suck it up" and finish the 6 miles my running group was scheduled to complete...

Pace per mile breakdown...

Post run selfie...

Next week is my taper week and I'm looking forward to tapering and doing some easy runs, maybe some yoga and stretching in preparation for next weekend. As much as I want to PR at the Palm Beach half, a lot will depend on what's going on with my knee...

*****

And now....it's time for my weekly installment of the 10 "Day" YOU Challenge!

I go back and forth between "I love listening to music when I run" and "I kind of enjoy the distracting huffing and puffing of my own breathing". I've been trying to find songs that have a beat that will help me with my pace when running, but these are also songs that I simply enjoy listening to (and surprisingly no country music made the list). Sometimes I keep one song on repeat and that also helps me stay focused on a steady rhythm during my running intervals.

So the top 6 songs I listen to when I run (based on my music app's "Top 25 Most Played" playlist) are...

1. Magic (by B.O.B featuring Rivers Cuomo)

2. Run This Town (by Jay Z, Rihanna, Kayne West)

3. I'm Into You (Jennifer Lopez featuring Lil Wayne)

4. It's My Life (Bon Jovi)

5. Candy Rain (Anthony Lewis featuring Billy Bang)

6. Animals (Maroon 5 featuring J. Cole)

My musical taste is quite diverse as you can see, but these songs have the right tempo and keep me upbeat (which comes in very handy on the Sundays I'm running double digit long runs). 

Happy Sunday!!!

Is anyone running the Palm Beach half or full marathon next weekend? Or any other race?

10 Day "YOU" Challenge Day Seven: 7 Books & a Holiday Giveaway!!!!

Since I love to read talking about some of my "favorite books" seemed like a natural choice for the next segment of the 10 "Day" YOU Challenge. There is no way I could limit my favorite books to only 7 so instead I'm going to (mostly) talk about some of the recent books I've read that I really enjoyed.

Again to Carthage (John L Parker Jr):
This is the first novel about running that I read earlier this year. It's an inspirational storyline that has you falling in love with the main character and realizing that complaining about your training plan is a ridiculous concept compared to the type of training detailed in this book.

Iron House (John Hart)
This is a story about the ties that bond families together beyond the strain of loss, pain, time and space. An epic book that is frustratingly unpredictable and equally enjoyable. Sometimes losing yourself in the predicaments of the protagonist puts your own problems into perspective.

The Innocent (David Baldacci)
Suspense and action and a story line with a twist (have to love those!). This is the first book by this author that I've read and I'm already on the hunt for more!

A Time to Kill (John Grishman)-- (not recent, but an all time favorite). This was also my introduction to John Grisham as an author (years ago). I've read 95% of the books he's written since then. Both my mom and twin sister love his writing so for several years we were trading books back and forth.

If I Stay (Gayle Forman)
This one is a definite tear jerker. I haven't seen the movie (yet) but if it's as good as the book is it will be amazing.

The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)
I usually tend to love the first book in a series the best so although I've read the entire trilogy the Hunger Games is my favorite. I went to see the Mockingjay part 1 with Kaiyu and we both loved it. Can't wait for part two!

Divergent (Veronica Roth)
Divergent is the first of this series and it's my absolute favorite, but all the books are great (as are the ones in the hunger games series).

As you can probably tell my reading taste is very diverse. There is no particular "type" of novel that appeals to me the most, which allows me to enjoy a wide variety of writing styles. There are a few types of books that I don't enjoy though. I try to stay away from books about slavery, the holocaust, human trafficking etc...in general I don't enjoy non-fiction books.

What are some of your favorite books?

Do you ever re-read your favorite book?

On a more festive note...It's never too early for free stuff is it?  I'm helping Amber @ Bold Fit Mom with her Holiday Giveaway and I have to say there are some amazing things in her holiday gift basket!

The giveaway is open on her blog until December 11th and there are a few ways that you can enter. Be sure to click on the link to learn more about the giveaway...

HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY

8 Places I Want To Run...and Why (aka the 10 "Day" YOU Challenge - "day" 8)

I skipped last week's 10 "Day" YOU Challenge with all the excitement and preparation for the half so I decided to do that post today. I already did my 10 favorites and my 9 secrets. So today is all about my 8 places. I wanted to talk about the top 8 places that I want to run...and why.

So my 8 places are not necessarily marathon specific. They are just places that I want to run because of either the scenery or the significance.

1. Santorini, Greece

I fell in love with Santorini, Greece when I watched the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" movie (I read the book before I saw the movie but you can't describe the beauty of this city in words). I want to visit (and run in) Santorini when I travel to Greece to do the Athens Marathon (which will hopefully be in 2016). I just might have to visit Santorini first, because heaven only knows how my body is going to feel after running 26.2 miles...

2. Washington, D.C. (in the Spring when all the Cherry Blossoms are in full bloom)

I have ALWAYS wanted to see the cherry blossoms in D.C. It's so beautiful in pictures and in the movies I can only imagine that it is equally (or more) beautiful in real life. My only concern with running along a path canopied by cherry blossoms is that there might be bugs (has anyone ever had issues with bugs running along a cherry blossom path?)

3. Big Sur, California (for the Big Sur International Marathon)

The Big Sur marathon is on my Bucket List and it is one of the "must do" marathons in the US (I've heard it's considered to be one of the top 10 US marathons to run). The course is beautiful with a run along the west coast and views of the Pacific. There are some hills so I will definitely need to train for that. Not sure when I'm going to be able to check it off my list, but I definitely want to run Big Sur one day.

4. Loudoun County, Virginia (for the Virginia Wine Country 1/2)

Ok...there's wine involved....do I really need to say anything more?? I've never been to a vineyard or a winery before and I've always wanted to do that. I figure I can easily combine my love for both running and wine (which I don't get to enjoy enough of while training) in a fabulous vacation weekend. The half marathon in Virginia takes place at the end of May (which also makes it a perfect birthday trip).

5. Dubai

Dubai is one of those "once-in-a-lifetime" destinations for me. There happens to be a marathon there in January, but I don't necessarily need to travel to Dubai for that. I pretty much want to do the whole tourist thing and explore all the great architecture and do a bunch of site seeing etc. and fit in running in/around the many scenic areas.

6. Sydney, Australia

Australia is such an intriguing place and I would love to go there. It would be great to run on the Sydney Habour Bridge one day. I would love to do the typical touristy stuff in Australia as well.... visit the Opera House and the Royal Botanic Gardens etc.

7. Rio de Janerio, Brazil

I want to go to Rio to go to the Christ the Redeemer statue. That's the primary reason for wanting to go. I'm sure there are other great things to do and places to go (I haven't really looked into them though). I probably won't run up the path (since it's usually crowded and looks pretty steep). However, I would like to run along the coast, with the Christ the Redeemer statue watching over me.

8. Cairo, Egypt

Confession: I've been to Egypt before. It's because I've been why I want to go back. Cairo was beautiful when I went (prior to recent turmoil obviously), and I was able to crawl into one of the smaller Pyramids! As souvenirs from my trip I have sand from the Sahara desert and my birth calendar on papyrus. If I get the chance to go back I think running along the Nile River would be fantastic!

There you have it! My 8 places :)

Have you been to (run in) any of my top 8 places? How was your trip?

What are your top 8 places to visit?

10 Day YOU Challenge: #9 - SECRETS

Today's post is a continuation of the 10 Day (week?) YOU Challenge and I will be sharing my deepest....darkest....secrets. I'm kidding! You'll get a few "secrets" but mostly it's information that you may or may not know about me...

#1 I love overtly romantic gestures:
Yes, including flash mob marriage proposals and perfectly planned date nights with all my favorite things. The gestures don't always have to be big and glamorous...sometimes the most romantic moments are found in little acts of kindness and consideration.

#2 I'm not an animal lover:
I don't even like pet fish. I have to admit that at times I find puppy and kitten pictures cute but they still don't sway me. Not even slightly. There was a period of time that I considered getting a teacup puppy (because they really are cute), but then I heard they are very expensive, and have a lot of health problems, and I really don't need that kind of stress so I got over it relatively quickly.

#3 I'm very shy:
My friends would probably disagree with that statement, but until I get to know you and feel 100% comfortable, I tend to sit/stand back and observe others. Even though I'm shy it's easy to read my emotions. You can easily tell if I'm happy or sad or any emotion on the spectrum. Life is too short to mask how you feel.

#4 I play with my hair when I'm nervous or lost in thought:
Which happens often (getting lost in thought). I think it stems from needing something to do with my fingers and so I keep them busy by twirling my hair, smoothing my hair etc. It's a nervous habit.

#5 I get pre-run jitters:
Every time. Even before training runs. It has gotten worse since my injury and I think that subconsciously I'm just afraid of getting hurt. Hopefully I'll get over that soon.

#6 I love country music:
It's not the only music genre that I love but it is one of my favorites. I have a large selection of country music on my playlist and have specific favorites that I tend to listen to over and over again.

#7 I get lost easily and have a surprisingly poor sense of direction:
I do have a few random moments when I am able to figure out where to go and even fewer when I can give someone directions. But those are very few.

#8 I hate shopping:
I've never been a big shopping person. Mainly because walking up and down in the mall looking for something just seems more frustrating than anything else. Also, after a while my lower back starts to hurt me (even when I'm wearing comfortable shoes with good arch support).

#9 I'm very impatient:
Ok that's probably not a secret. It isn't as though I'm incapable of being patient but rather that I have a lower threshold than most people.

Share a Secret Saturday! 

10 Day YOU Challenge: #10 Favorites

I saw (a form of) this challenge on one of my favorite new blogs (Kristina's Blog About Running) --thanks Kristina!-- So I'm going to borrow this challenge idea and mix it up a bit. Just think of it as the Ten Day YOU (aka Me) Challenge Remix...

So I'll start the challenge with my 10 favorite things. Some of these things might be obvious if you have been following my blog (or know me personally), but here goes....in no particular order:

#1: Favorite color
My favorite color is purple. It has always been purple for as long as I can remember. Every shade of purple is amazingly beautiful to me. You'll pretty much win me over if you get me something that's beautiful and purple...

#2: Favorite number
My favorite number is 16. This goes back to when I was growing up...sweet 16 seemed like the age when so many possibilities would materialize. It was a great time in my life and I have always loved that number (my second favorite number is 13 because I was born on May 13th so obviously the number 13 is just simply amazing)...

#3: Favorite fruit:
My favorite fruit is pineapple. There is no other fruit on this earth that is as delicious as pineapple. There's not much else to say about this because if you have ever had a piece of pineapple you know exactly what I am talking about...

#4: Favorite thing to do:

Well you probably guessed that I'm pretty much in love with running. My love affair with running started last year but I'm hoping that it will blossom into an amazing long term wonderfully fulling relationship that is a part of my life for years to come...

#5: Favorite dessert:

I LOVE carrot cake. I confess that I don't have carrot cake (or any kind of cake) often anymore because the excess sugar does not make me run fast (and I don't need any help with not running fast)...

#6: Favorite article of clothing:

Apart from my love for awesome running clothes, my favorite article of clothing is (are?) jeans. I don't normally get "dolled up" and dressy (not many of those occasions come around). I like to be comfortable and a nice flattering pair of jeans has an awesome way of doing that...

#7: Favorite jewelry:

My locket. I have a gold locket that I've had for years with pictures of Kaiyu when she was younger. I don't wear it often anymore because the clasp on the chain broke and I nearly lost it a few years ago. It stays safe and sound in my jewelry box now...

#8: Favorite snack:

Popcorn!!!!! I love popcorn, especially home popped popcorn that's done old-school style (in a pot...with the kernels...and melted butter). When I was growing up my mom used to make popcorn from scratch (which is how I learned to do it) and no other types of popcorn will ever taste as good as homemade popcorn to me...

#9: Favorite thing to do on a rainy day:

My favorite rainy day activity is curling up in bed with a good book and reading for hours. If I'm not reading any books at the moment then the second best option is watching movies or tv shows. I don't usually sleep in on rainy days (although the temptation is there)...

#10: Favorite holiday:

My favorite holiday is Christmas. There is something about this time of year that has the element of being magical. I get to go home and see my family, spend well needed quality time with both family and friends. Give presents (get presents). Sing Christmas hymns and Christmas carols. I love everything about Christmas, even (gasp) the holiday travel ;)

So there you have it....ten of my favorite things! You might have noticed that almost 1/3 of my favorites are edible items. That's not a coincidence...food is beautiful.

One of the best parts about this challenge is to have others post their favorites as well. So feel free to comment and post your favorites to all or some of these categories; and look out for next Saturday's "9 Secrets" post!