A New Venture

A few people have told me that I have a knack for this "social media thing". In fact, last week a colleague of mine contacted me to see if I would be interested in working with a group here in Las Vegas that helps out new small business owners get started in social media. Some of them are new to social media and would like to learn how to get set up for the myriad of outlets now available to them and to get some guidance on which ones may be of benefit to their business. I jumped at the chance to help others learn what I have basically taught myself through trial and error and also from the tips and tricks I learned from others.

 

Next Friday afternoon I will get to teach a class for two hours to these new business owners and help get them connected. Over the next few days I will be working on a Powerpoint presentation that will hopefully help them figure out what social media outlets will work best for their business and how to get things going.

 

I am pretty excited to see where this new venture leads.

 

 

The @TheColorRun 5K!

 COLOR5OFF
http://thecolorrun.com/locations

(Sponsored Post)

As a member of Running Bloggers I was given the opportunity to work with the folks at The Color Run to offer my readers a discount. The discount is for $5 off your registration for any upcoming races (that are not yet sold out).

What is the Color Run?

The Color Run™, also known as the Happiest 5k on the Planet, is a unique paint race that celebrates healthiness, happiness, individuality, and giving back to the community.

This race is less about your 10-minute-mile and more about having the time of your life, The Color Run is a five-kilometer, un-timed race in which thousands of participants are doused from head to toe in different colors at each kilometer. The fun continues at the finish line with a gigantic “Color Festival,” using more colored powder to create happiness and lasting memories, not to mention millions of vivid color combinations.

There are only two rules, the idea is easy to follow: Wear white at the starting line and finish plastered in color! 

Since these races are so much fun, they do tend to sell out fast so make sure to use the code COLOR5OFF and regsister for a run near you! Here is the link to The Color Run's locations 

COLOR RUN LOCATIONS

Thanks again to the folks at The Color Run for sending me this offer to share with you. 

-Karen

Steps-7/21 to present

Getting Ready for Iron Girl - Week One

Week One Review

This first week of training went well but could have gone better. I got some solid workouts in this week but know that I need to increase it going into week two. I did have a crazy but productive work week so I am pretty happy with what I was able to do in light of that but know that I still have more to do. I was supposed to go to my first spin class on Monday which got changed to this evening, but my work week caught up with me (that and a crappy night of sleep last night) so I decided I needed a rest day. I am hoping to get that first spin class in on Monday night instead. I really want to do it and tell you all about my first class. 

I started doing some research on the Sprint Triathlon and am looking into what to wear and what to do in preparation for the transitions. It seems daunting so I am going to take it in chunks. First I need to find what to wear, and from what advice I have gotten from others,  I may decide to buy a multi-function outfit that can go from stage to stage. If that is the case I will need to do that this weekend so I can practice going from a wet suit to a bike beforehand. I am sure it will be uncomfortable so I want to make sure I know that noe. Which brings me to my next issue. 

The bike I have is more of a mountain style bike, not a road bike. We have also have had issues on the tires staying inflated which means that we will need to replace the tubing in each tire which my hubby swears he will do (hopefully soon). This bike will at least get me acclimated to outdoor biking again. In particular, doing so in Vegas weather. Yet, I know I will need to solve the bike problem somehow. Possibly rent one, or look into a used one. Not sure on that yet.

Tonight is my rest night, and I have some swimming and running on deck this weekend as well. My issue with swimming is feeling like a bit of a dork at the pool in my gym. Still not quite comfy with practicing there. I feel awkward. I miss having my own pool. Yet, I know it is something I will evetually get over the more I go. 

I need to work on my training plan for the coming week on Sunday. I am using a Triathlon training app but it isn't very flexible and I cannot seem to find one that I can pick and choose what days and what workoust I do. I cannot always swim on day one, bike day two, etc. My schedule is too chaotic to aow me to do that. My late night is now Wednesday evenings, which is new, so I had to do a lot of adjusting this week to accomodate that and my hubby's schedule since he has softball too. We have a 2 1/2 year old dog, that is often vivacious (aka he gets himself into mischief), and rightfully so  I have to limit how long he is left unattended. Just not fair to have him left alone that long. So I try to use those days to take hime for a walk, or a short run, to get him some excercise too. 

I have also started to track my steps on a pedometer (new gadget: Jawbone UP) and my food intake to make sure that I am getting the right nutrition in as well. One thing I have noticed so far was that my sugar intake was wicked high in the beginning of the week, so now I have that under control. I have up my fruits and veggies and am trying to be more picky about what carbs I am taking in too. 

I am also happyand extremeley grateful that the folks at Iron Girl gave me permission to use their "in training" logo on my site. I had it on my first post but took it down after my friend said that she got hers from them directly. She is an official blogger for the Vegas event as I mentioned in my previous post. I decided that it couldn't hurt to ask them if I could use it. Through twitter I received an email address from them and requested permission, which I received a few days later with the logo attached. A good reminder to not just use what you find in a google search. A quick email was all it took. 

There is just so much to think about but am really excited about this race. In three months from today I will see if all this hard work will pay off. I must say though, no matter what happens, I am pretty happy that I decided to do something that scares me a little. I did it before with obstacle course races, and now with the Iron Girl. It feels good to try something new, and I see myself doing it more and more. I don't want to miss out on any new opportunities just because I feel uncertain. I just want to continue to be brave. 

Have a great weekend everyone and swift feet to all those racing this weekend. 

Karen

Motivational Music: Gym Class Heroes: The Fighter ft. Ryan Tedder [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

Giving it a Tri! @TheIronGirl #swim #bike #run

You can register for this event or any Iron Girl event.
Be sure to put my friend's name Angela Wozniak
in the referred by box and use this coupon code: SOLESISTER for $10 off.

My friend (and fellow blogger) Angela of @SoleSisteronRun (Twitter Handle) recently posted that she was registered for the Athleta Iron Girl held at Lake Las Vegas on October 26th. I had thought about doing a duathlon this summer and also the Iron Girl event but was afraid of the swimming portion. I can swim pretty well but have never done open water swimming. I had a pool back in Pennsylvania, which I was always in before and after work. I even recently got a bike to start training for a triathlon. Still, it all seemed daunting to me and after talking to a few people about it, I put it in the side. 

Then I saw Angela's post. She is so good at motivating people to get out there. Seriously, you must check out her Facebook page too http://www.facebook.com/solesisterontherun

Anyway, I talked to my hubby about it for the last few weeks (since her post) and yesterday he said to "just go for it". I had been talking about it since January and now that I knew at least one person doing it, some of the fear was taken out of it. Note the use of the word 'some'. I am still slightly freaking out about it but I know that the main reason I have not been able to train as consistently is because I don't have the motivation of something new and exciting to train for. I knew I wanted to do something in the fall, but most of the other races I would like to try (Spartan Race in particular) don't have any dates coming up for quite awhile. This event fit in perfectly. 

So, in roughly two months I WILL become a triathlete. 

Have any tips for this newbie? Please post any here. I will gladly accept the expertise of my experienced colleagues in this event. 

I am really looking forward to doing this, and am already signed up for my first spin class on Monday to start preparing. I am nervous, excited, you name it.

I think that this is exactly what I needed. 

Hey Mercury...

...."I don't really care if you are in retrograde. Get your sh*& together."

If you are friends with me on Facebook you will know doubt know of the calamities that have befallen me and my poor husband these past two weeks. A former boss of mine used to always tell me when things happened in quick succession like that it was probably due to pesky Mercury being in retrograde again. So, on a whim, I checked it out. Sure enough it is happening right now and won't end until the 20th. 

What happens to you during this crazy time? AstrologyZone.com says this, "You miss appointments, your computer equipment crashes, checks get lost, you find the car you just purchased during Mercury retrograde is a lemon. (Or, you hate your haircut, the lamp you bought shorts out, your sister hates her birthday gift.) There will be countless delays, cancellations and postponements--but know these will benefit you in the long run. Don't fight them, although your frustration level and feeling of restlessness will be hard to cope with at times."

Hmmm...You don't say...

Ok, before you get all snarky on me for believing in all that "astrology mumbo jumbo" put yourself in my shoes. 

In one day I had my IPhone overheat to the point of my screen cracking. I then proceeded to spill coffee on my shirt and pants just moments before walking into the office. After that, I called my husband and asked him to bring an orange shirt to change into (let me preface this next part by letting you know that all of my clothes are organized by style and color)...he brought me an orange dress. All day I wore that stained shirt. Sigh. He did try but it was just comical to see his expression after driving the 14 miles to being me that shirt. I had some other work related stuff happen which isn't all that "funny" and then 6 pm hit....I thought, "Yay, I'm FINALLY free of this wonkiness at last!" 

Nope. Denied. 

I got to my car and noticed that the sprinkler head next to my car broke and sprayed water all over my windshield. One downside to water in Vegas, it leaves nasty water stains and my windshield was obscured by them. So I said, okay I need to wash my car anyway might as well hit that on the way home. Got to my favorite car wash, put my money in, and waited my turn. Once the patron before me left I went ahead in. The brushes kicked on and slowly started creeping up the front end of my car.....I started to relax and enjoy the solitude. 

Until the brushes came to a grinding halt.

No damage to my car but I had to back out slowly and go inside to tell them what happened. This is where I nearly lost my cool. The cute and yes friendly attendant said in a matter-of-fact manner that she was really sorry that happened to me but I would have to come by tomorrow to get my money back because her manager had to okay it. 

{rolling my eyes}

I know it wasn't her fault, but really? Manager's approval for a failed car wash that cost $5? I never did go back. I just went home and rinsed the bubbles that still lingered on the front of my car. 

My car is still dirty. 

The very next day Mercury decided to hit my husband, literally. No really. I am not just using "literally" for emphasis. He was hit in the face. He was at his softball game, and missed the ball with his glove. Sadly his face made the play instead. He ended up cutting the tooth through his mouth and out the front of his chin. It was a mess. Yesterday he went to the dentist to check out his teeth which with thought were okay. 

They weren't.

He ended up having to have his teeth bonded until the crack in his jaw heals. You just can't make this sh*& up!

Sadly the option of staying home in bed, under the safety of one's covers is not an option. And despite my rational brain saying all this Mercury stuff is nonsense, I cannot seem to dispute the craziness of the last few days. There is more to this then what I have shared here but I think you get the gist. 

The gist being that Mercury is sometimes one crazy ass beotch. 

Tread carefully my friends. And if what they say is true that this mean good times are ahead, so be it. At this rate though it better be kick-assery or I will feel jipped.  

The Power of Friendship

Jackie, Sarah, Carlee and Me (my BFF Sue took the photo)

It is hard to believe that it was almost a month ago when my friends and I all gathered to celebrate the marriage of Carlee and Rob in Florida. It was a beautiful day on the waters of the Inter coastal aboard the Sun Dream Yacht. Now as much as I would love to say that that everything went off without a hitch, I cannot, because the strangest things happened on this trip. None of which really matter because in the end two of my favorite people (yes Rob, that includes you too) were married. That means all of my sisters have finally found their perfect match and now have moved into whole new chapters of our lives. 

Then a startling realization sunk in..... "We're now GROWN UPS!" Well, we actually knew that already but this kind of set that in stone. 


The good news was that Ben and I got to spend a bit of extra time with the newlyweds as we traveled to Disney for a few days to celebrate their nuptials and to also celebrate our own one year anniversary. How cool is it that my best friend and I have anniversaries two days apart? At least we can never forget them!

On to Disney we went after some minor snafus with the rental car that had my husband's blood boiling, and not from the heat or humidity.

Disney really is the happiest place on earth because despite each of us at some point feeling a bit "off" (tired, sickly, etc) we never complained.  We sucked it up, and had the best time finding hidden mickeys, riding rides and just being silly. Sure, we may now be officially grown up but in Disney it was okay to be one with our inner children once again.

No matter where my friends and I are though, whether together or apart, we are always connected. Sure, we drive each bonkers once in awhile. Some times more often than that. However, at the end of the day we tell it like it is, and we always end up finding our way back to that place that brings us comfort. So, to all my girls, both near and far, thank you for always reminding me of who I am. I am a little sad that we don't have any more weddings to look forward to. It was nice to have big events to celebrate. I hope though that we can find some reason to get together and just be together.

Me and my love. Happy 1 Year Anniversary!

Rob and Carlee - The Newlyweds!

Overcoming Obstacles

We all have obstacles in life. There is not much we can do to prevent them but how we react to them can often define the person we are and perhaps who we will become in the future as well. Whether those obstacles are physical, emotional, financial or geographical we each have our own unique way of facing them. Some need time and understanding. Some require patience from family and friends. Other require us to help each other push things in the right direction. No matter what the circumstance though, every obstacle requires some amount of courage. 

I asked this question of a few friends and co-coworkers, "What obstacles have you faced since the beginning of 2013, and how did you overcome them?" Many were shy, understandably, but one did respond. To keep this person's identity anonymous I will use the name Chris.

"[It all]  starts with me having terrible 2012 – a breakup (world fell apart and such) and life seemed dim. Life’s colors weren’t so bright and my running wasn’t as enjoyable. I always ran though, that won’t ever be taken from me.
 In 2013 life got brighter – it wasn’t just one thing I did but maybe it was – that is I finally let go of the negative and really lived again. No one was going to do it for me. I had to do it myself and then life’s colors were in full bloom again.  It was important for me to do because it was just that little bit of pain/negativity that kept me from fully enjoying the wonderful life I have. As soon I let go, which was just by doing the things I love and finding the positive side.”
 

The thing I have learned from this was that no matter what the circumstances, we need to latch on to someone and/or something that we love to help us get through these challenging times. I still struggle with letting go of things that have hurt me or my perceptions of these moments. Yes, people really can be, well ASSES. Yes, you will get angry when things go badly. Yes, you may need to vent to friends, on Facebook, wherever. Do it if it makes YOU feel better. If it doesn't re-evaluate. Maybe venting is not the answer. You may just need to take another step back in order to move forward. 

 However, at some point when that anger or sadness begins to be all-consuming, we may need to take a step back, as Chris did, and fall back on those people or things that bring us comfort. It make time to discover what works, and what works one day may not the next. Take it one day at a time. One foot before the other. 

So again I ask, “What obstacles have YOU faced recently and how did you OVERCOME them? Are you still dealing with those issues? What are your outlets?” 

Feel free to share your story but if not, take solace in the fact that you are most undoubtedly not alone. 

Motivational Music; Sara Bareilles - Brave