It’s been a while since my last update and I have a lot to share including a new race I just added to my calendar. I’m running the Hyannis 1/2 marathon in February with my sister to “celebrate” her turning 30! Let’s hope we don’t get frost bite…
First, I want to give a big shout out to my peeps - Edward and Bella Cullen. They are like the opposite of Demi and Ashton (Edward’s the VILF in this case) but hopefully they stay together… forever… yes, pun intended.
Who else is Twilight obsessed? I started reading their books before they turned into paperbacks and I still love them. Well, I might love Katniss from The Hunger Games more than Bella but Edward beats Gale or Peeta any day.
Last Week Blues / Maintaining your “pillars” in life
So last week plain old stunk for me. Nothing went right. Not even one thing. Plus, I neglected all of my goals for the month and ate a ton of junk food, avoided working out, slept in late but I did manage to get a lactic peel. Priorities people.
I know we’re not going to have great weeks all the time and some weeks are just going to suck and some are going to be utterly fantastic. I just felt so down and avoided anything and everything that could have cheered me up!
This week has been much better. I started running again, saw some of my favorite people and overall just regained a positive mindset.
My main struggle is trying to balance work, studies, family/friends and my own well being and making sure that I am successful in all aspects. I want to be the best sister, best daughter, best co-worker, best student, best girlfriend, best friend while staying in shape, eating healthy and allowing some me time but it’s nearly impossible. Unless you’re Oprah and can hire people to do everything for you.
I went to this women’s networking event the other day and the main speaker was a woman by the name of Barb Reilly who is a managing partner at Arnold Worldwide. She spoke about the need to stop attempting to “balance” your social and professional lives, and instead think of them as different pillars on which your life stands. Some days my work life takes precedence over anything else in the moment. Trying to give equal attention to everything is impossible. I copied a great explanation of the four important pillars in life:
Private
You need to time for you – time to refresh and reinvigorate yourself. Part of this is keeping your body ready for the race through proper nutrition, regular exercise, and adequate rest. Another part is expanding your mind and lifting your spirit. You may get this in a number of ways – hobbies, art, music, literature, or religion.Personal
You need time for the ones you love – family and friends. They give you support when you need it. They also give you a break from the pressure of the rest of your life. They are a safe harbor for any storm. Other things are important, but people’s biggest regrets often revolve around not spending enough time with family and friends.
Professional
Like most of us, you probably spend most of your time awake at work in your profession. There’s the work itself. But you also have to invest time to expand your capabilities. This will make your work more interesting, but more importantly, it will open up additional opportunities for you in the future. Failure to make this investment has left many people feeling unfulfilled in their careers.Public
You also should give back to your community. Your community can include a number of things – your profession, your school, your city or town, and more. If you only take, you’ll miss out on the joys of giving. You’ll also jeopardize the very places that you’ve counted on to improve your life.
Inspiring!
I wanted to give a huge shout out to SkinnyRunner for running two marathons back to back. This is ancient news in the blog world but I’m still amazed by her endurance – she is so inspiring!
Upcoming Plans
Tonight, me and Nick are going to see Straight No Chaser. They are an all male a capella group and yes my boyfriend is going with me I might be the luckiest girl in the world 
I plan on starting my actual marathon training in a few weeks – wahoooooooooo!!!! Time to get the serious face on and kick some butt. My goal is to finish the Boston Marathon under 4 hours. Stay tuned.
~*~
Wow I can’t believe Thanksgiving is almost here what are everyone’s plans?
Do you have any upcoming races planned?
Tags: Goals, Half Marathon, Lesson, November, running, The Hunger Games, Twilight
