Great quote...

"All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on." ~Havelock Ellis

I love, love, love this quote!   Kind Over Matter is a wonderful source of inspiring photos and quotes.

Frustrating week in research

I do not have any runs to report at the moment.  The last two days I have spent long days at work.  I really need a good mid-length run right now.  I plan to run either tonight (pending plans with a friend) or tomorrow. 

[image source]

 I spent three long days this week working on an organic synthesis for school/work only to discover yesterday that it did not work.  We have successfully done this synthesis twice, and then the last two times it has not worked (and these two times were spaced a month apart).  Even my adviser who helped us with the synthesis has no idea why it is not working.  Long story short, I need the the synthesis product to do an experiment and nothing is working at the moment which has left me very frustrated.  Frustration is a part of research, and while last night I was frustrated beyond belief, I deep down still absolutely love my work.  I live for a challenge.  

Some quotes from some very wise men:

"I have not failed.  I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."  ~Thomas Edison


"If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?"  ~Albert Einstein

Last night I went home and had a very nice dinner with Chris which included a much needed glass of wine.  Then I went to bed and slept for nearly 9 hours.  Now I am up, feeling refreshed, and ready to face the challenge again.  Thank you for allowing me to vent.  Off to do more research!  How do you face mental challenges?  Have a wonderful day! 

P.S.  On a positive note, my butt is feeling better (Thank you for asking, Christine!  You're so sweet!).  There is still a dull pain, but is much better compared to last week.  Yay!

 

Starting my Christmas with Mint Tea

Merry Christmas!  I wanted to write a quick post about the amazing Christmas gift I got from Chris's sister, Jessica.  My very own loose leaf tea maker.... with my favorite... mint tea!

I am going to get a thermometer and a tea pot.  For today, the microwave worked fine.

P.S.  That is too much!

Definitely too much tea, but it looks awesome!

Go Knights!  (and Tervis Tumbler!)

Definitely had to be diluted, since I made it too strong.

Because I live in Florida, and I love iced tea!  I personally prefer mint tea sweetened and iced.

I hope you all are having a wonderful Christmas.  I most certainly am!  I love my future-in-laws, and I cannot wait to see my family later in the week. (o: (o:

Building family Christmas traditions

The lovely and oh so talented Katy over at The Singing Runner recently posted about her wonderful family Christmas tradition which involves Christmas ornaments.  This inspired me to write about our own Christmas tradition. 


Growing up, my sister and I each got a new Christmas ornament each year.  Mine were usually Goofy ornaments, because I am a huge Goofy fan.  In 2007, the year Chris and I met, I ran my first half marathon which he also ran.  We got these fun Christmas ornaments to remember the event.  My mom even found a special ornament which she had specialized just for me.

In 2008, I graduated with my Master's degree and Chris's family give me a Dr. Seuss ornament based on the book "Oh!  The Places You'll Go!".  Chris's roommate had moved out that summer and Chris brought an artificial Christmas tree for us to decorate.  We decided on an artificial tree (which looks quite real in my opinion) since he lives on a third floor (without an elevator) and had two kitties at that point.  We bought some plastic ornaments, knowing that the kitties would probably knock them down.  We hung the nicer ornaments on the top.

 In 2009, we went on a cruise and our trip to London, and I moved in with Chris.  While on the cruise, I saw Christmas ornaments for sale and came up with the idea of collecting an ornament from the different places we travel.  This way our Christmas tree will be built of memories of the places we've gone together.  We also purchased an ornament in London and found a London-related ornament in a store after we got back.  Unfortunately, that year the cats discovered that they could climb the Christmas tree.  Ashe broke my 13.1 ornament, but luckily Chris had a matching one, so we still have one.  The video below of Simon's Cat reminds me of Ashe.  We decided that the next year we would get a second smaller tree just for our special ornaments, and that tree would be kept in a kitty-free room.

This is our first Christmas together being able to refer to each other as fiance.  I could not be happier!  This year, I knew I wanted to get an ornament in St. Augustine where Chris proposed.  We searched all over and found a few ornaments.  We kissed under "The Love Tree" and got an ornament to remember that too.  This year both Chris and I had huge work and/or school projects, and since we are not going to be in town for Christmas we decided not to put up our tree.  Instead we decorated the balcony with Christmas lights. 

 

These last three were part of a buy three for $10 deal.  I thought the heart was appropriate after the proposal.

One for showing the location of our happy moment.

And Chris just really liked this gecko.  Go figure.

Next year I plan to buy the 26.2 ornament.  We will see what else we find to build our Christmas ornament collection.  I love spending the holidays with our families and learning about the traditional foods his family cooks for the holidays (all delicious I must add).  I love that my mom still stuffs our stockings full of tiny little gifts that she wraps individually.  I look forward to the years where we celebrate holidays in our own home filled with all of our family, buy and fill our own stockings, and continue to create our own traditions built upon the traditions of our families. 

What are some of your own holiday traditions?  How do you build new traditions?


As a final note, I ran 3 miles with my co-worker Bala yesterday (in 31:54).  Then spent the day Christmas shopping with Chris.  I am finally getting into the holiday spirit.



Simon's Cat in "Santa Claws"

More 30 DSLR - Eating Naturally and Gifts of the Body 3

I'll admit, with all of the excitement from the holidays and mostly due to my time-consuming school project, I nearly forgot about catching up on my 30 Days of Self Love Reflectance (30 DSLR) which was proposed by Tina at Faith, Fitness, Fun for the 30 days in September.  I however have been spreading them out and writing whenever I have the extra time.  It may be slow, but they are coming along.  I have been following her proposed questions and thoughts.  I have listed all of the topics below, and I have linked to the topics that I have already discussed:

1. Confidence
2. Gifts of the Body #1
3. Intrinsic Beauty
4. Trusting our Bodies
5. Love from Others
6. Idolize Bodies?
7. Perspective
8. Desiring Perfection
9. Gifts of the Body #2
10. How to View Exercise
11. Seeking Control
12. Jealousy
13. Outward Beauty
14. Finding Joy
15. Perseverance
16. Eating Naturally
17. Gifts of the Body #3
18. Loving Others
19. Stop Fat Talk
20. One Life to Live
21. Purpose
22. Forgive Yourself
23. Out of Conform Zones
24. Rest
25. Gifts of the Body 4
26. More Than Numbers
27. Forgive Others
28. Deeper Issues
29. Passion 
30. Worth

Now continuing with the 30 DSLR:

Eating Naturally (Tina's original post may be found here, and as always, I recommend checking it out!)

Tina posed the thoughts and questions, "How have you experienced any shifts in how you view food?  What are the biggest influences in your food choices?"

When I was young, I was the very strange kid who would rather have had a plate of steamed vegetables (including brussle sprouts) rather than cake.  I cried when I had to eat pizza, because I did not like it (my views have since changed, although I do consider myself a pizza snob).  I went through a phase a few years ago where all I wanted to eat were non-fat foods, and reading magazines like Runners World and SELF along with reading health living blogs helped me realize that healthy fats are necessar.  In fact, when I started eating a more balanced diet, I felt a million times more satisfied and healthy.  Reading healthy living blogs has influenced my view of food in terms of giving me new ideas of how to cook and enjoy the many foods I love.  I definitely have a sweet tooth.  That beingt said, I will never exclude a particular food from my diet (unless I just do not like it... for instance... peas.  Gross!), but I will enjoy them in moderation.  I love, love, love fresh fruits and vegetables, so I enjoy finding new recipes. 

Quotes:

 "Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity."  ~Voltaire

“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.” -La Rochefoucauld

 


Gifts of the Body #3 (Tina's original post may be found here.)

Tina asked, "What of your body (inside or out) do you thank today?  List three new things to thank your body for today."  

Previously I have posted about my hair, butt, ears, legs, fingernails, and heart.  Today I am thankful for my mind, knees, and muscles.  My mind has helped me in school, in decision-making, and in appreciating all of those wonderful people and places in my life that I love.  My knees have taught me how to appreciate them for allowing me to train for a marathon.  After long runs, my knees are quite sore, but luckily icing them cures the pain.  I am thankful that my knees allow me to continue to run.  Finaly, I am thankful for my muscles.  They may be sore or knotted at times, but that just reminds me of how hard they work.  They allow me to run, perform experiments, and hold my kitties.  They also allow me to experience the ultimate joy that is a massage.  The post-massage feeling is the so amazing!  I am very thankful for that!


Quotes:

"Body and mind, like man and wife, do not always agree to die together."  ~Charles Caleb Colton 

"A woman is as young as her knees."  ~Mary Quant

"Massage is the only form of physical pleasure to which nature forgot to attach consequences." ~Robert Brault 

Continuing the 30 Days of Self Love Reflections

Time for some more 30 days of self love reflections created by Tina at Faith, Fitness, Fun.  After this I am half-way through the 30 days.  I will be sad when they end.

Outward Beauty (Tina's original post may be found here, and as always, I recommend checking it out!)

Tina posed the thoughts and question, "We must not forget that outward appearance does not define our worth as a whole. However, me must also feel free to declare our beauty on the outside. We all desire it…and we all have it. What physical characteristic makes you beautiful?"

My hair.  My crazy curly hair makes me uniquely me.  When I was very young, my hair was so blonde that it was almost white.  My mom used to brush it (a no-no for curly hair), and I ended up with an afro.  My dad called me Q-tip, because I was always thin (I was born premature.) and had this crazy fluff of hair on my hair.  As a kid, I remember many women coming up to my mom and asking if my hair was natural.  Yes.  Followed with, "People pay a lot of money for hair like that."  Remember the perm phase?  Even in my undergraduate college days, the intoxicated guys would be mesmerized by "boing-ing" my hair... gently pulling on the curls and watching them bounce.  Sure there are days when I wish I had straight hair, but I definitely love my curly hair!

Quotes:

 Beauty in things lies in the mind which contemplates them. ~David Hume

You don't love a woman because she is beautiful, she is beautiful because you love her. ~Author Unknown  

Q-tip

 

 

 

Cruise with straight hair.  I don't look like me!

Cruise with curly hair... much better!

Finding Joy (Tina's original post is here, you should check it out!)

Tina asked, "What will bring you joy?  It's yours for the taking...so take."

Helping others brings me joy.  I may get frustrated with my job, but the challenge makes me happy and brings me joy.  Being with family and friends brings me joy.  Planning my wedding to the man I love brings me joy.  My beautiful niece, Joy, brings me joy.  Taking care of babies (kitties) brings me joy.  Running brings me joy.    To sum it up, being around people that I love and care about, doing what I love, and helping others brings me joy. 

Quotes:

“Enjoy life. This is not a dress rehearsal.”


 “Who is the happiest of men? He who values the merits of others, and in their pleasure takes joy, even as though t'were his own.”~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 

“Joy is the feeling of grinning inside.”~ Melba Colgrove

“Joy lies in the fight, in the attempt, in the suffering involved, not in the victory itself” ~Mahatma Gandhi 

Speaking of Joy... Could my niece, Joy, be any cuter??

Perserverance (Tina's original post may be found here.)

Tina presented the questions, "What ways have you seen the benefits of perseverance in your life?  If you don’t want to get too personal, what are some small acts people can do to keep on keeping on?"

I'm going to opt for the second question, since I'm too tired to write much more.  My suggestion for keeping on is making a list of short term goals to keep you focused.  When times are tough, it is important to focus on taking care of yourself and leaning on family and friends... they want to be there for you.  This goes for personal problems as well as less serious issues.  Take running for example.  When I feel tired or burned out, I tell myself "just one more mile" (short term goal).  I give myself a rest day or two, maybe a massage, and make sure I am eating properly (taking care of myself).  Finally, I consult friends, including fellow bloggers, to get tips and motivation (leaning on friends).

Quotes:

"The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one comes from a strong will, and the other from a strong won't."  ~Henry Ward Beecher

"Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did."  ~Newt Gingrich

Self Love - Seeking Control (Controling your outlook on life) and Jealousy

I am over a third of the way through the 30 days of self love created by Tina at Faith, Fitness, Fun... my days are just not consecutive as they were originally intended.  LOL

Seeking Control (Tina's original post may be found here, and as always, I recommend checking it out!)

Tina asked the question, "What things in life might you try to control?"

I think it is good to control your outlook on life.  I have noticed that when I am upset or annoyed everything else seems to get to me more.  I might get annoyed over silly little things that other people do, simply because I am in a bad mood.  If I was in a good mood, those things would not bother me, and I know that.  So by controlling my outlook on life to make it a positive outlook, my life is just simpler and happier.  Rather than little things annoying me, I actually notice how all the little things in life make me happy.

[image source]

As part of this positive outlook on life, you have to learn how not to let the negative people bring you down.  Unfortunately they will always be there, but you can chose to distance yourself from them and focus on the positive.  Negative people and negative thoughts are not worth your time.

[image source]

I say this from experience.  Around the time my dad passed away, it seemed like everything snowballed.  You know, when it rains it pours.  Anything that could go wrong did go wrong.  I was so caught up in all of the negativity that I did not focus on all the amazing things that were also happening in my life.  I let my negative outlook on life control me until I finally realized that it didn't have to be that way.  Once I changed my perspective, life started to come together again.  I was happy.  Sure, we all fall into negative thinking from time to time.  I am definitely not immune to it.  I have written blogs where I have vented about negative feelings.  We are only human.  However, if we make a conscious effort to control our outlook on life, then we ultimately will live a happier more fulfilling life.  That is one of my personal goals, to have a more positive outlook.  I don't want my day to be ruled by little annoyances simply because I have a bad attitude.  I choose to to live a happy life.

Quotes:

"People seem not to see that their opinion of the world is also a confession of their character." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson  (One of my absolute favorites!)
  
"Think excitement, talk excitement, act out excitement and you are bound to become an excited person. Life will take on a new nest, deeper interest and greater meaning. You can think, talk and act yourself into dullness or into monotony or into unhappiness. By the same process you can build up inspiration, excitement and a surging depth of joy." ~Norman Vincent Peale (from Kind Over Matter)

Jealousy (Tina's original post may be found here.  Definitely check it out.)

Tina asked the questions: "What ways do you encounter jealousy? How can it hold you back? What could you look to in yourself or your life when wishing for what others have?"

Being that I am a graduate student on a budget, I get jealous of people who have the income to do more traveling, have more money for shopping, or wedding planning (LOL), etc.  I can honestly say that I am not lacking in any aspect of my life, including financially.  Like my thoughts above, focusing on these things that I may get jealous over take away from me focusing on all of the amazing things that I do have.  I am so blessed.  I may be a graduate student on a budget, but I am getting paid to go to school.  I know that is not very common, and sometimes I take it for granted.  I have an amazing support system, including my wonderful family and friends.  The next time I feel envious of what someone else has, I will control my outlook and think of all the wonderful things that I do have.

Quotes:

Envy is the art of counting the other fellow's blessings instead of your own.  ~Harold Coffin

Envy is a symptom of lack of appreciation of our own uniqueness and self worth.  Each of us has somethin to give that no one else has.  ~Elizabeth O'Connor (from Tina's post)

Envy is ignorance.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Easy run and Self Love - Exercise

Tonight was an easy run with Caitlin.  3 miles in 33 minutes.  Perfect for chatting.

Still working on my very slow catch-up of 30 Days of Self Love. 
Here is another post:  Exercise (click here for Tina's original post, which I highly recommend). 

Tina posed the questions:

Has exercise ever controlled your life or defined you in a negative way? 

What ways can/do you pursue fitness for health and a stronger sense of self? 

Sure, I have become obsessed with exercise at some point.  When it stops being fun, that is when I know I need to change my views on exercise.  Of course there are days when I don't feel like running but know I need to run for training... that is not what I'm referring to.  I mean when I become overly obsessed with make sure I work-out.  Luckily that is not the case now, nor has it been in some time.  It is important to not let exercising control your life but rather to use it to improve and balance your life.  That leads me to question two.  You can pursue fitness for health and a stronger sense by working out to keep yourself happy.  Part of my marathon training is for me.  It helps me keep a consistent running routine, which is great because I feel better when I work out consistently (again, consistently is not the same as constantly).  Crossing that finish line will be just another way of showing myself that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to do.  So can you!

Quote:

"A good goal is like a strenuous exercise - it makes you stretch." ~Mary Kay Ash

Quote of the day

For anyone who follows me on Facebook, you know that this past year I have become obsessed with posting a quote a day.  It helps me put life into perspective by starting the day off with a quote that makes me think.  I thought I would share today's quote on my blog, since it especially spoke to me today.

"As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind.  To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again.  To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives."
~Henry David Thoreau

7 Universal Truths...

I saw these on Angela's blog OhSheGlows where she received these from a friend going through Zuda yoga teacher training, and I immediately loved these Universal Truths.  I decided to "steal" them and post them on my blog to share as well.  I highly recommend checking out Angela's blog post where she elaborates on her thoughts/feelings about the 7 Universal Truths.

Zuda Yoga Teacher Training – 7 axioms/Universal Truths

1. You are exactly where you are supposed to be
2. Fear and pain are life’s greatest teachers
3. Laughter and play are the keys to the fountain of youth
4. Exercise and rest are the keys to vibrant health
5. Touch and intimacy are basic human needs
6. Everything is impermanent
7. Everything is connected

Beautiful Bob Marley Quote...

I absolutely love this.  I originally read it on Rachel's blog.

"Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever. Memories of your childhood come back and are so clear and vivid it’s like being young again. Colours seem brighter and more brilliant. Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn’t exist at all. A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day’s work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, but you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby. Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life."


— Bob Marley

More 30 Days of Self Love Catch-Up!

I have not forgotten the amazing 30 Days of Self Love.  It is almost over, and I have not posted on my blog about most of them.  I absolutely love the concept, so I am going to start catching-up.  Enjoy!

Idolizing our bodies (check out Tina's post here).

What ways have you put too much emphasis on your body?  How can you change that?

I have always been good at picking out the little imperfections and thinking negatively about them.  What I should do is focus on how they make me unique. 

Quote:

Revel in your imperfections.  Be entertained by your problems, and know that once you looked ahead, and wished you were where you are now.  And once again you will look back and smile. ~Unknown

Perspective (check out Tina's post here).

How do you witness the power of perspective in your life?  Do you currently face something where your perspective could make a difference?

My dad loved to play Devil's Advocate and make sure that I always considered others point of view.  I think this is most important in every type of relationship in life, because trying to view situations/arguments/ideas through other people's perspectives expands your own. 

Quote:

Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect.  It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.  ~Unknown

 I had the blues because I had no shoes until upon the street, I met a man who had no feet. ~Denis Waitely

Perfection (check out Tina's post here).

In what things do you try to seek perfection?  Why do you even want it?  How does perfection actually hurt that area of your life?  What would letting go of the hope of perfection do for you?

I am by nature a perfectionist, and it is a constant form of stress when everything does not go perfectly.  Stress does not go well with confidence and happiness, so I am working on not caring how perfect something is.  I'd rather focus on how I can complete something to the best of my abilities and feel good about it. 

Quote:

Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralizing. ~Harriet Braiker

Certain flaws are necessary for the whole.  It would seem strange if old friends lacked certain quirks. ~Goethe

Gifts of the body 2 (check out Tina's post here).

Take a few moments to think about 3 new things you appreciate about your body.

(1) My hair.  It makes me... well... Me!  I tried straightening it a couple times.  Not only did I look sick because it was so thin, but I did not look or feel like myself.  I love my quirky crazy curly hair!  It makes me feel unique.  (2)  My butt.  That's right!  I said it.  It catches me when I fall, looks good in jeans, and is fun to shake when I'm dancing around the living room.  (3)  The shape of my ears.  I typically would say that "I hate my ear", but they run in my dad's side of my family.  It is just something else that reminds me of him. 


Quote:

The body is an instrument, the mind its function, the witness and reward of its operation. ~George Santayana

30 Days of Self Love - Trusting your body & Love from others

Today is a wonderful relaxing day.  I am going to do some work on my candidacy, be lazy and look at silly wedding websites (hehe), and hopefully go in the pool later.  And what makes this even better is that I plan to do it all again tomorrow... with a run perhaps.  I love long weekends!

I have two days of Self Love to post about.  I am absolutely loving the 30 Days of Self Love!

Trusting your body

In what area do you know you need to trust your body more? How do you plan to do so today?

I need to trust my mind more.  I know that I am capable of solving all kinds of problems, but sometimes grad school can be overwhelming and I start doubting my abilities.  I realize I have mentioned this previously, but this is really the area of my life that made me want to participate in the 30 days of self love.  I need to have more confidence in my abilities.  I am going to build this by continuing to remind myself that I can do whatever I set my mind to accomplish.

Quote:

Our own physical body possesses a wisdom which we who inhabit the body lack. ~Henry Miller

Love from others

Reflect on who loves you and what they see in you. Do you have trouble believing it and accepting what they see whole-heartedly? Try to think of all those wonderful things about you that others care for and use those to fuel your day.

I honestly have to say that I feel loved by all of my friends and family.  I have surrounded myself with amazing people, and I could not imagine my life without them.  I feel completely loved, supported, happy, and safe.  I am so glad that all of my friends and family are in my life, because they make each day special. 

Quotes:

Your task is not to seek love, but merely to seek & find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it. ~Rumi

If you were all alone in the universe with no one to talk to, no one with which to share the beauty of the stars, to laugh with, to touch, what would be your purpose in life? It is other life, it is love, which gives your life meaning. This is harmony. We must discover the joy of each other, the joy of challenge, the joy of growth. ~Mitsugi Saotome

Running-related:  Last night I ran 3 miles as my third run for the week.  I ran the first 1.7 with Chris, then stopped for water and finished the last 1.3 by myself.  I had a cramp most of the time but was still relatively happy with my times.  Yay for negative splits!
Mile 1: 9:54
Mile 2: 9:41 (water stop at 0.7, stopped Garmin during water stop)
Mile 3: 9:19

This finished week 7 of marathon training with 16 miles of running.  I'm sad to say that I did not do much yoga and zero swimming, but I did get a lot of good research done for school.  Yay!

Check out the GU Energy Give-away at Endurance Isn't Only Physical.

I hope you all are having a wonderful and safe Labor Day weekend!

30-DSLR - Intrinsic Beauty

Yet again, Tina has posted an amazing 30-DSLR blog!  Be sure to check-out her page.  Today's blog for me needs to be short and sweet so I will keep it that way.

From Tina's blog Faith, Fitness, Fun:

Take a few moments to think how you showcase intrinsic beauty. What positive qualities describe you. Search deep. Through the day consider these qualities. How do they showcase in your life and make you beautiful?

My beauty is shown by the company I keep.  I have such amazing, thoughtful, kind, and brilliant friends.  Being around people that I care about and love make me glow from the inside.  I avoid those people that make my inner light dim.

Quotes:

"People are like stained-glass windows.  They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within." ~Elisabeth Kubler-Ross 

"The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart." ~Helen Keller

"Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes.  It is not something physical." ~Sophia Loren

Happy Friday!!!  I hope everyone has a fun and safe Labor Day Weekend!

30 Days of Self Love Reflectance – Gifts of the Body

30-DSLR:  Today's reflectance is about our own bodies.  I am supposed to reflect on my body's gifts then make declarations for each.  I gave this some thought during my solo run this evening.   

I thank my legs for allowing me to run!  Running not only helps me relieve stress, but it leaves me in a wonderful mood.  I love that my legs have been able to carry me through 13.1 miles and will eventually carry me 26.2 and maybe even more!  If it wasn't for running, I never would have found little Zacky and probably would not own the three little kitties that are my "babies".

I thank my fingernails for growing so long!  I know that sounds extremely silly, but it's true.  My nails have always grown long without any upkeep.  It is one of those things that make me feel girly and cute. 

I thank my "heart" for allowing me to love!  Even after the very painful time of losing my dad, I am grateful that my heart was able to heal and allow me to continue to love life.  It has also allowed me to love the amazing man that is my fiance, Chris.  I am grateful that I have a heart that is open to the love of family and friends.

Quotes:

Take care of your body.  It's the only place you have to live.  ~Jim Rohn

Your body is a temple, but only if you treat it as one.  ~Astrid Alauda

Non-running-related:  Today was a rough day.  Every September 2nd is rough.  .  Luckily I have amazing friends and family who help me through each day.  I am so very grateful for them all!  I could never have made it to where I am today without their love and support.

Running-related:  I did a solo 3 mile run.  I started out too fast and had a cramp for most of the run.  I did the first mile and a half then stopped my Garmin for a walk break and water.  Then I ran back a mile and a half.  While I love running with my friends, it was nice to get lost in my head. Today that was especially needed.  My overall time was 28:48.

30 Days of Self Love - Confidence (and a 10 mile run!)

I have decided to join the 30 Days of Self-Love Reflectance (30 DSLR) movement which I read about here, at Faith, Fitness, Fun, where 30 DSLR is described as:

The 30 DSLR is to bring a positive change into each of our lives one day at a time. Each day will feature a new topic and message to reflect on and motivate positivity throughout your day and, hopefully, beyond.

I think it s a wonderful idea!  Plus, Day 1 (September 1st) is "Confidence" which is something I have been lacking in certain areas of my life lately.  I know very well that I am capable, but then I start to doubt myself.  I also tend to take things too personally and get overly upset over "silly things".  This is something that I have been wanting to change, and I believe that I can do that by starting with building my self-confidence. 

Day 1's mission (straight from the link above):

Take a few moments to quietly reflect on confidence and recognize what you have to offer. You have something! Focus on that throughout the day. Whenever you feel down, remember who YOU are and what you have to be proud of. Don’t negate it!
What do you have to be confident about? Proclaim it...and don’t forget that affirmation!

What do I have to be confident about?

• I am absolutely loved!  (Clearly demonstrated by my very recent engagement to the love of my life!  But also by my amazing friends and family!!!)
• I am smart!  This is the area where I feel myself lacking recently, but I need to keep reminding myself that I am going for my PhD in chemistry.  That is not easy.  I love a great challenge, which is why I decided to go back for my PhD rather than accepting an un-challenging job.  I do not know everything, but I know how to ask for advice when necessary, research, and work my way through finding the answers.
• I am a runner!  Not only can I run, but I am confident that I will be able to complete my marathon in February.  I am so excited!

For those who know me personally and are friends with me on Facebook, you know that I LOVE Quotes.  I post a new quote as my status every day, because they make myself and other happy and they promote positive and/or deep thoughts to start the day.  I plan to find a quote (most likely several) for each day of 30 DSLR to share with you all.  


The first quote and image above are also straight from the link above, but I love them both.

It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not.  ~Author Unknown

Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent.  ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Whether you think you can or think you can't - you are right.  ~Henry Ford

You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.  ~Michael Jordan

Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside of them was superior to circumstance.  ~Bruce Barton

Sex appeal is fifty percent what you've got and fifty percent what people think you've got.  ~Sophia Loren

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

The best way to gain self-confidence is to do what you are afraid to do.  ~Author Unknown

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.  It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.  We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?  Actually, who are you not to be?  You are a child of God.  Your playing small does not serve the world.  There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.  We are all meant to shine, as children do.  We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.  It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.  And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.  As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.  ~Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles," 1992 (commonly misattributed to Nelson Mandela, 1994 inauguration speech)       

 ~*~*~*~*~*~

In running-related news, Caitlin, Ryan, and I ran 10 miles yesterday!  My longest run this year and Caitlin's longest run ever! Woo-hoo!  Our time was 2 hours and 2 minutes.  Our first half was at a really great speed.  Caitlin and I split a GU (strawberry banana is good!), and we were feeling great.  The second half ended up slower due to some complications in our run, but it's all good because we ran 10 miles!  I am certain our time will improve with our next run, but at least we got in the distance. 

Unfortunately, my knees are really sore right now, so as I am typing this blog post I have had ice balancing on them.  I took an ice bath after our run yesterday, but it was really late and I was hungry so I wasn't in there for very long.  Does anyone know how long an ice bath should last for optimal results?  I really am not sure.  Since my knees were causing me so much grief today, I ended up taking a rest day.  I had many different work-out plans, but sometimes rest is what is necessary. 

I hope that you all are doing wonderful!  I am still on Cloud 9 and could not be any more happy right now!  Thank you all for the wonderful comments about my engagement.  You are the best!

Week 2 complete and a really spectacular quote!

I ran 4 miles yesterday for a grand total of 50 miles in July.  I ran the first 3.25 miles with Caitlin then finished off the last mile doing a little speed work on my own.  Total time was 42:50, and I felt great.  It was really hot though.  I was very happy for some cold water when I finished.  That means week 2 of marathon training ended with 3 days of running for a total of 13 miles.  There were also two swim lessons (and a short swim practice/goofing off in the pool with Chris today), and an hour and a half of hot yoga.

This morning I attempted to make Caitlin@HTP's delicious looking french toast sundae breakfast.  Let's just say that breakfast was an epic fail this morning.  Banana soft serve really should be made in a food processor, because my blender did not like it.  I am now on a hunt for a small (I don't have a place to store anything huge) food processor. 

I hope that you all are having a wonderful weekend.  I want to end this short post with a really wonderful quote that I read today.  I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.  It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most.  We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?'  Actually, who are you not to be?  You are a child of God.  Your playing small does not serve the world.  There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you.  We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.  It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us.  And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.  As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."  ~Maryanne Williamson, used by Nelson Mandela in his 1994 inaugural speech

Visiting family...

Friday morning Caitlin and I ran only ran two miles (at 6 am).  It was early, and I did not sleep well.  The run was nice though.

Mile 1:  11:46
Mile 2:  11:31

After, we met her visiting parents for breakfast.  They were very sweet and bought us both breakfast.

I left work early on Friday, and Chris and I headed to Sarasota to visit his family for Easter weekend.  We had delicious homemade lasagna for dinner and "the pie" for dessert.  This delicious custard and fruit pie comes from Publix, and Chris's mom knows how much I love it so she usually picks one up before we come to visit.

 

Doesn't that look yummy?!  I passed out pretty early, which meant I woke up very early.  I plotted a 5 mile run using runstoppable.com.  This was my first run with the ipod since the ringing in my ear started.  Oh by the way, it seems to be much better!  The ringing is still there, but the frequency is much less.  I did notice that it was worse after running, but seems to be much better now.  Back to my run...  I set up with my goal to finish 5 miles.  I was more concerned with going the distance than what my pace was.  I ended up with a much better pace than anticipated.   The run started out nice and cool, but my path for the last mile resulted in little wind and I was pretty hot.  Oh, and I saw my first wild Roseate spoonbill today!  It was all pink and cute.  

I didn't have a camera to take a picture, so I borrowed one from Google.  I also ran through the Amish part of town which was really cool.

Mile 1:  10:12
Mile 2:  10:17
Mile 3:  10:15
Mile 4:  10:10
Mile 5:  9:34

Today Chris's mom took us to the Tervis Tumbler Factory Store!  We each picked out a 24 oz cup and lid.  I loooove it!  They really are fantastic!  You can fill them with hot or cold liquid, and they have a lifetime warranty.


Later, Chris and I decided it was time for the kitties to have a bath.  We only managed to bathe Zack today.  I have the scratches to prove it...  (he was frightened by Chris's parents' dogs). We will bath Ashe and Kirby tomorrow.
 
(Yes, I really am that "white"... I have given-up tanning.  I really did not go often, only before a vacation, but I came to the conclusion that it was just not smart.  I will embrace my paleness and hope to still look young when I am much older.)  Then we headed out to have dinner with my aunt.  She lives on the other coast of Florida, but was over here for work.  We went to a great mexican restaurant.  Here is a picture of me and my super awesome Aunt Nora!
Tomorrow I plan to do some school work and relax.  We will have Easter dinner before heading back home.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Here is a great quote I found this week:  "Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use." ~Earl Nightingale