I’m Training for a Half Marathon!

Less than a year ago, I would have laughed if you suggested that I would be training for a half marathon today. Half of an entire marathon, or 13.1 miles, would have seemed impossible to me back then, but I’m on the right track to tackle the distance and even come in under two hours, if all goes well. I decided to create this post because I’ve had a lot of “how did you do it?” or “I could never do that” questions and comments. These tips can help you train for your own 13.1 mile race. After all, if I can do it, then so can you!

Assess Your Starting Point
The first thing I did once I set my mind to completing the full 13.1 miles was figure out what I could already do. This spring, I was shocked to discover that just 30 seconds of running left me out of breath and in need of a walk break. Knowing that wasn’t discouraging, as it gave me a base and something to improve upon.

Get an App to Help You Improve
Since I wasn’t a long-time runner, I needed an app that could help keep me on track and motivate my weight loss. The Couch to 5k App, or C25K, had me running and walking in intervals three or four times each week. At the end of the 10 week plan, I could run an entire 5k, or 3.1 miles, without needing a walk break. After completing C25K, I moved onto C210K, which I’ll complete by the middle of November.

Participate in Shorter Races Along the Way
After finishing the C25K, I put my hard work to the test with a 5k race in Las Vegas. Before my full 13.1 mile race, I’ll also participate in a longer race called the 12k Turkey Trot in Las Vegas. I’m nervous to tackle 12k, or roughly 7.5 miles, but I need that time so that I can be put in the right corral for my upcoming half marathon. Once I complete that race, I will have run the furthest distance that I’ve ever run in my entire life.

Schedule Your 13.1 Months in Advance
The culmination of all my training will be the Tinkerbell 1/2 Marathon, which takes places in Disneyland. Knowing that I have this race ahead of me helps me stick to my training, which I know will be tough to handle over the holidays. The race is held on Mother’s Day, an extra special date to me since my son and husband will be at Disneyland cheering me across the finish line. I got this fitness journey started after having my little boy and knowing that I am his role model, so seeing him at the end will be quite the special moment for me. Since I started running and cross-training, I’ve lost nearly 90 pounds (80 of which I gained during my pregnancy). This race will be my moment to show the world what I’m capable of and make me and my family proud!

Under Pressure

I find myself with (finally) some time to add to my blog. It’s been far too long since I’ve had time to adequately devote myself to journaling/blogging for my own purposes. But, here I am, once again, ready to put all of my thoughts onto….a screen? Well, you know what I mean, I’m back!

What’s new with me?

-I have grown as a person, as a woman, and as a friend in leaps in bounds (just trust me on this one!)

-I still love Glee, but I’m heartbroken that Finn is actually dead. So sad!

-I got married!

What should I write about now that I have all of this extra time on my hands? I am open to suggestions and comments, so please use the boxes below and let me know if I could add any valuable Internet real-estate with my words of wisdom and/or experience on anything at all.

Until then,…I’ll rack my own brain for tidbits of info that may be useful to my group of readers. Feels good to be back!

 

National Talk Like a Pirate Day

Image courtesy of ASCP

Dog Risks Her Life to Save a Kitten

Dog Risks Her Life to Save a Kitten

Pretty much the cutest article I’ve ever read in my life.

Read this if you need a little “awww” in your life!

Solar Energy Powering California Homes – not a thing of the past!

Since I lived in the bay area for so many years, I am well aware of how “green” that community can be, not to mention how quickly the energy bills run high!

I have friends who are buying their new homes and/or already bought their new homes and contacted me to use my social media prowess to see what I could find in regards to solar power energy savings.

1st finding: they install solar panels that look great on MODERN homes these days. Click here to see great images: http://bit.ly/13EUXqb

2nd finding: the up-front cost is not NEARLY as much as the energy bills would cost for an entire year.

3rd finding: the solar power experts are few and far between, but landing on the right person saves California homeowners THOUSANDS of dollars and the savings get higher each year.

The best company that I could find through all of my research was Sierra Nevada Solar. Check them out here: http://bit.ly/13EUXqb

Hope this helps the Cali homeowners out there – I know my friends really appreciated the referral!

From Fat Boy to Fit Man: A One-Step at a Time Story of Success

From Fat Boy to Fit Man: A One-Step at a Time Story of Success

A fantastic book about a weight loss journey from start to finish. This book is inspiring and full of uplifting advice. Highly recommended!

Silence for Boston

I am beyond saddened and dumbfounded. My first thought was, “Why?” As my co-workers and I were discussing the explosion, we all couldn’t help but remember 9/11 and where we were when we got that news. It’s deplorable and sad, no doubt about it, but I refuse to give up on humanity. I have no doubt that our nation will pull together once again, as we did during the sadness of 9/11. 

No one knows who is behind this yet and I refuse to make any assumptions. Regardless of who it was, they are one speck of the human race that somehow and someway managed to take the wrong path. What they don’t know is that while we are all shocked and mad that we lost innocent people, they have only reminded us that we are a nation united. Already, we are all pulling together and we are helping in whichever way each of us knows how.

I was speaking with a friend of mine, when he read a post from a well-known comedian regarding his take on the Boston Marathon explosion. I was immediately impressed with the thought and the sincerity behind the post and I would like to share with everyone. I hope it speaks to all of you, as it did to me.

“I remember, when 9/11 went down, my reaction was, ‘Well, I’ve had it with humanity.’

But I was wrong. I don’t know what’s going to be revealed to be behind all of this mayhem. One human insect or a poisonous mass of broken sociopaths.

But here’s what I DO know. If it’s one person or a HUNDRED people, that number is not even a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a percent of the population on this planet. You watch the videos of the carnage and there are people running TOWARDS the destruction to help out. (Thanks FAKE Gallery founder and owner Paul Kozlowski for pointing this out to me). This is a giant planet and we’re lucky to live on it but there are prices and penalties incurred for the daily miracle of existence. One of them is, every once in awhile, the wiring of a tiny sliver of the species gets snarled and they’re pointed towards darkness.

But the vast majority stands against that darkness and, like white blood cells attacking a virus, they dilute and weaken and eventually wash away the evil doers and, more importantly, the damage they wreak. This is beyond religion or creed or nation. We would not be here if humanity were inherently evil. We’d have eaten ourselves alive long ago.

So when you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety misogyny, hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think, ‘The good outnumber you, and we always will.'” -Patton Oswalt

Very, very well said. Once more, my heart and prayers go to every single person affected by this – runners, family members, first responders, volunteers, supportive community members. From across the nation, my heart is with you and yours.

Funny Time

“The reason I talk to myself is because I’m the only one whose answers I accept.” -George Carlin

“Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.” -Brian Gerald O’Driscoll

“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.” -Abraham Lincoln

“I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives.” -Unknown

Captain Adventures

What do you do when you foster a dog for a week and then fall in love with him? One guess….yep, you got it! You adopt him. When I decided to foster an abandoned dog it was because I had the time and the resources to do so, being that I was unemployed. What better time to be a foster parent, right?! Well, what I didn’t expect was to be given the best dog in the entire universe to foster. Little did I know that when I took this guy home, I would be met with an angel dog. I honestly thought he would be a 1 or 2 week project, but it was only a matter of time until he turned into much more than a project.

The dog I took home, Captain, has part Shih-Tzu and part Dauschund blood. I’ve never had a mixed dog before, nor have I ever taken care of a rescue before. I was under the impression that he might be a little misbehaved due to abandonment or lack of routine. WRONG! The dog never barks, he’s fully potty trained, plays well with animals and humans, and he loves to snuggle.

After making the decision to keep him (there was no chance I could let someone else take care of this dog when I fell in love), the first thing I did was get him groomed. He was even CUTER after he was washed and cut. All I ever hear from my friends now is how much they want to keep him. Well, TOO BAD! He’s alllll mine. I love that everyone can see just how fantastic he is and I know he feels the love since he’s not moving from home to home. He’s exactly where he should be, which is in my arms.

Post-haircut Captain

The best thing about Captain is that he made best friends with a stuffed panda. He literally takes the Panda everywhere with him – the bed, the couch, outside to potty, everywhere!! I went a little crazy with the toys because I wanted him to be happy, so I bought all sorts of goodies – balls, squeaky toys, Nyla-bones, the whole 9. He loves his Panda so much that he will “share” his toys with Panda.

How cute is that? It’s like he does cute things purposely to prove that I made the right decision. Every day he does something else that confirms my decision to keep him. It’s my first experience with adoption and rescue, but the best experience so far.

Panda enjoying his bone that Captain shared

I continue to volunteer for Those Left Behind Foundation and some of the dogs there have the exact same story – cute, loveable, smart, and sweet – but unless people look past the scruff and the initial shyness these dogs have, they may never see the ‘Captain’ within.

Withdrawals

It’s been far too long since I’ve had a makeup job and I’m starting to get withdrawals. I’m supposed to do makeup on a photoshoot for a potential advertisement in a VERY new and well known casino (can’t spill the beans!) at some point in February. The problem with large productions such as this is that they tend to get pushed back. I’m chomping at the bit to get to work and add to my portfolio.

On that note, I was going through my portfolio today and I had to say I was impressed.  I don’t consider it narcassistic to like your work, but there are certain photos that I am amazed by. The part of my conscience that doubts my abilities wonders if the picture is so phenomenal because of the model, or maybe the photographer, but then the other part of me realizes that without the red lips I put on the model or the PERFECT eyebrow that I created, the look just wouldn’t be the same. It is so interesting to see how far I’ve progressed since I started doing makeup. Watching your own skill grow throughout different photos is truly a great experience.

I am really happy to be at a place in my life where I can pursue my passions and I have the ability to dabble in the things that I love to do. I have a feeling that when I look back at my life in 50 years or so, I’m going to remember the “Good ‘ol days when I was a makeup artist” with incredibly fond memories.