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

INSPIRED - Heather Lopez-Caolo (Reposted by Permission of Heather)

I know Heather personally so when she shared this story with my the other day I asked her if I could share it on my blog. She agreed. I think many of us can relate to Heather and her daughter and I am happy that she allowed me to share this with you today. Enjoy!

Karen, Runwithk.com

INSPIRED -   Heather Lopez-Caolo Hello Girls on the Run friends and family! Meet Heather Lopez-Caolo...    When I was younger I was very thin I never needed to work out or eat right, because of that, I formed very bad habits. When I became pregnant with my daughter I gained a lot of weight and had many medical issues (preeclampsia and gestational diabetes.) Charli was born with a lot of health problems as well and stayed in the NICU for a few months and once she was healthy enough to leave the hospital we moved to Maryland. Once living here for a while, I became very depressed because here it is almost a year later and I have gained even more weight. I was banking on being like my friends and the weight just coming off; it didn't. A few years passed and I developed pains in my back, hips, and feet, not to mention a feeling of helplessness and low self esteem. So one day I was talking to my friend whining about my weight and pains, my girlfriend said "you should start walking," Charli over heard this and walked up and said "if you want I'll walk with you Mommy." So for a few months, Charli and I would walk on nice days; then one day while at a party in Annapolis there was a fitness equipment store with a clearance sign in the window. We walked in and they had a very nice gently used treadmill for $ 150.00 (which I still use almost daily) and my husband bought it right then and there. I started using the treadmill on all the rainy, snowy, cold days I could not walk with Charli on, and then after a while found I could go faster and faster, next thing you know I was running. The first 50 just fell off with the running alone, the last 25 I had to incorporate a diet, and now with another 20 (ish I would like to lose) I am running, diet, and doing insanity. It has been 2.5 years since I was 220 and I am never going back! Charli was my inspiration she made me see that working out can be as easy as just walking with someone you love and spending quality time together. My husband eventually joined in and we take jogs together as a family. I put Charli in the GOTR program because, running made me feel better, running gave me my life back, running made me feel like a better me. I implement (now) a healthy life style at home with minimal junk food, physical activity (playing outside when weather permits), and self confidence. Charli becoming a part of this (even though she is not to keen on running for fun) has allowed her to really take in that you have to take care of your body; even if you are thin and being healthy is more than just outside looks. Making family time just doesn't have to be gathered around a TV, and time with friends doesn't always have to involve sitting in a room playing with Barbie's. I do hope she keeps all the things she has learned with GOTR so when she is older she will take care of her body and mind without letting herself become unhealthy and depressed.