Category Archives: Austin

Austin Runs for Boston

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Thursday evening over 1,000 Austinites met at Austin High School to embark on a run in honor of the Boston Marathon Explosions victims; with love and grief in our hearts.

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The night started off with Amazing Grace being played on bagpipes while so many runners, both friends and strangers alike, held hands. The moment was so overwhelming it moved me to tears.

A sea of blue and yellow set off down the trail to honor those killed and injured in the explosions, and celebrate the safe return of the hundreds of Austinites who ran Monday’s 117th Boston Marathon. The quick response to Monday’s tragedies was beautiful. A run that typically has no more than 100 runners quickly became a mass of over 1,000 compassionate souls. It was the perfect reminder that no matter how much evil is out there, the good will always trump the bad. We will always stand together and stand tall.

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Running with a group in silence, I heard things that I don’t normally notice.  I heard my own breathing, for example, and the breathing of the people next to me.  I heard each and every step clearly as well as the steps of those around.  Paying attention to these easily ignored sounds around me, I couldn’t help but embrace the connection.  You start breathing with the people around you.  You start keeping pace with them if they’re not that much faster than you.  Suddenly, the group is in a very real sense running together as one.

Runners run together.

That’s why I know that we will move forward and continue to run high profile marathons, and that the Boston Marathon will be sought after like never before.

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“Good or bad, we’re all in this together — just taking one step at a time” 

The Disappearing Act

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I have been so utterly terrible at blogging lately!!!

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When I realized how long it has been since I actually sat down night after night and pounded out pages of writing, it really made me sad. I adore writing. It is a true passion of mine…. Something that has always felt very therapeutic for me.

Writing was once something I did on a daily basis. I would do it out of both the love of writing and necessity. I’d get out of bed in the middle of the night after the ex had fallen asleep and sit on the couch in the otherwise pitch-black living room; with the only sound being that of my fingers hitting the keys and his light snoring in the background.

It really makes me truly sad that I haven’t been taking the time to blog recently. I have been in a constant cycle of running (I have been training for SFM still. Training update to come soon), work, having an amazing time in Austin: repeat. I’ve realized recently why I started my blog in the first place…. I originally started because it’s so therapeutic… To release everything…. However, the incredible, strong, beautiful people I’ve met through blogging are the reason Wild Things RUN Free ever got to where it was.

That’s why, I’m so sorry… not to you guys as my readers, but AS MY FRIENDS.
I’m sorry for disappearing. I promise I am back in full force, not only as a writer, but as an active and good blend :)

That One Time I Jumped Out of a Plane

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When I first moved to Austin one of the very first guys I met was this handsome and super cool dude named Jake. It was almost scary how much we had in common and both share a love of adventure. I knew at that very first “dinner date” that it wasn’t the start of a relationship, but the start of a friendship that was going to last a very long time. Even after only meeting once, it was as if we knew each other for ages, the way we just kept babbling on and on about things.

I remember the conversation from that very first night, when he said that one of the most incredible things he has ever done was when he went skydiving in Switzerland… Free falling with a straight shot of the top of the Alps. Can you even imagine such an incredible view? He later showed me the video from the jump and I was blown away. I decided then and there skydiving was high up on the list of things to do before I die.

Fast forward several months and one random day in February, Jake called me all excited that he had found a living social deal on skydiving out of Texas Skydiving Center, which is about an hour drive from Austin… Obviously, we jumped on the opportunity. It was also a relief to know my first jump was going to be with someone who has done it multiple times.

As the date approached I started to get super nervous. Thinking of all those (very rare, and mostly only in movies) stories you hear about the parachute not opening. Being typical Charlotte….

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The night before almost felt like the night before a big race. I was a jumbled mix of anxious/terrified/excited/doubtful/over-the-moon… I couldn’t sleep worth a darn… But as soon as we hit the highway I was snoozing in the passenger seat on the way to TSDC.

Before doing a high-altitude jump you have to sit in a 5 hour classroom before, where you learn all about the equipment used for skydiving, aircraft procedures, skills demonstration, steering and landing… I decided last minute that I felt better doing Tandem (where an instructor is harnessed to you and he has one huge parachute on his back) So we only had to do the ground classroom for about an hour….Jake as a trooper and sat through the classroom with me even though he’s a veteren. Then we were boarded onto our aircraft where all the gear was strapped to us and it was time for lift off….

Once in the air and the equipment was on, I started to panic a little. I have no fear of heights or anything… But I had one of those “wtf am I doing with my life right now?!” thoughts. Ya know…. just gonna go jump out of a plane and free fall for an entire minute and hope to god that the stranger on my back deploys the shoot… and here I am sitting on the ground of a tiny plane between the legs of a man I just met who is attached to my back….

Jake on the other hand, was easy breezy. Smiles and sunshine like we were just going to jump off of a 2 ft step or something.

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A few people go before us, then Jake jumps….. I’m up next. I’m standing in the door of the plane… So much wind gushing at me. Suddenly my instructor yells “GO!” I must have looked absolutely petrified because the camera dude next to me waiting for us to jump smiled a little and said “just remember to breathe” and nudged me forward. Welp, I was at the point of no return, I could jump… or I could let my instructor jump, at which point I would just fall with him. So, I leaped out of the plane.

The first 50-60 seconds of free-fall went by so fast. I didn’t even have time to register “holy fuck I’m plummeting at free-fall speed toward the earth” before the parachute pulled. I did have time to close my eyes for a few of the 60ish seconds and I remember thinking “I’m just a bird….that has no wings and can’t fly, but right now, I’m still a freakin’ bird”

Once the chute pulled, I tried to soak up the experience as much as possible. Time seemed to just disappear, though… The teeny-tiny houses in the distance grew larger and closer. My instructor let me do a few turns to try steering, and before I knew it, it was time to prepare for landing. ;)

I wasn’t sure what to expect with the landing. I expected it to be rough, maybe even a little painful…. But, it really wasn’t at all. The ground was grassy and soft, and while the landing wasn’t “soft”… It didn’t hurt at all.

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I still am having trouble putting into words just how incredible the experience was. It was scary, but honestly taking the jump out of the plane was the worst part. The adrenaline rush was unlike any I’ve ever experienced, and the view was extraordinary….

If I ever get the chance, I will certainly be jumping again in a more exotic/gorgeous setting!!!

After jumping Jake and I hung out for a little while and watched other jumpers while the sun set. It was quite beautiful and relaxing! :) Met so many interesting people from all over the world that were jumping while on holiday in the states :) :)

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All in all, I highly recommend tandem jumping to anyone who has considered skydiving!! It is an incredible adventure that I wish more people experienced!!! :)

Do You Want to Be The Next Oakley Women Brand Ambassador?

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In 2012 I was fortunate enough to be one of 10 women selected out of thousands of ladies across the country to be an Oakley Women’s Brand Ambassador. The opportunity quickly became one that would change my life forever. Since becoming a member of the Oakley family I have met the most incredible, hilarious, beautiful, bad ass, FIT women in the United States (and some from other countries, too!) I’ve learned more about my sport, the entire fitness industry, and myself than I ever dreamed possible. Oakley has taught me how a company should run. Equal parts give and take, and nothing but passion.

In 2013, Oakley Women is expanding our family and YOU have the opportunity to apply and try to land yourself a spot in our tight-knit family!!

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You see, this year Oakley has partnered with SHAPE Magazine to throw the ultimate events across the country! The SHAPE Diva Dash! Wondering what the heck the Diva Dash is? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered: The Diva Dash is a women-only obstacle 5k where you crawl, jump, climb, swing and DASH your way to the finish line! The Diva Dash is going to be in several cities across the USA throughout the Spring and Summer of 2013. (San Diego, Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Atlanta, Chicago, Boston, Boulder, DC, NY Metro, Miami to name some places) and in three of those cities there will be a progression session and live ambassador search. Southern California, Dallas/Ft. Worth, and Boulder.

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All YOU have to do is scoot over to the SHAPE website here and fill out the quick little survey which will land you an opportunity to be selected as 1 of 200 women chosen for each city to attend a VIP Oakley Progression Session which includes a live ambassador search!

Each Progression session will include:

  • Boot Camp with Oakley Women Ambassador Cari Shoemate
  • Yoga with Oakley Women Ambassador Lacey Calvert
  • Nutrition Seminar with Oakley Women Ambassador Marni Sumbal
  • Live Ambassador Search
  • Product Giveaways
  • Mobile Oakley Store Featuring The Newest Oakley Apparel and Eye Wear
  • Much Much More!!!!

Submit your entry by the following dates:

  • Southern California:  March 3, 2013 (Race Day: March 23)
  • Boulder:  April 14, 2013 (Race Day: May 4)
  • Dallas/Ft. Worth:  May 5, 2013 (Race Day: May 25)

**One Entry Per Person**

**Learn More about the Oakley Women Ambassadors at OakleyPBC.Com**

 

On your mark, Get set, GO!! ;)
Good luck & Have fun!!! See you in Austin and Dallas! ;) :)

Good-Bye Austin Half Marathon, Hello Air Cast

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I haven’t wanted to talk about this.. However, it has become more clear to me that it’s time to lay it out there. Once I talk about it, I’ll start to get over it a little bit. I’ll lose the chip on my shoulder… With that being said, I’ve been trying to write this since Sunday night and I keep allowing myself to become distracted. Obviously, there is a part of me still not ready to come to terms with things.

You know those moments that flash before your eyes in slow motion but you just can’t stop them? Well, one of those situations happened to me Saturday morning. I awoke bright and early that day to get in 4 easy-paced miles before work. I headed down MLK toward campus just like I do every weekend. Campus is practically empty on the weekend mornings, making a peaceful and beautiful route to run. I turned up my tunes and completely lost myself in my thoughts as I entered the UT Campus. I was ticking along when I suddenly got the urge to go a different direction through campus than I typically do. I find myself taking a right turn toward Robert Dedman, and up past the Football Stadium. Then the moment came. I’m chugging along and suddenly I launch my foot off the ground to notice (too late) that there was a step down on the sidewalk. The moment passes so slowly that I can feel myself realize that I’m about to do some damage on the landing. Yet, it was too late to do anything about it… I had already launched off the ground. My foot slammed into the ground funny and rolled to the outside.

Down I went.

There was an instant pain shooting up the outside of my left ankle and top of my left foot. Every single curse word in the english (and even some from the italian) dictionary came out of my mouth. There was a super nice, helpful gentleman running the opposite way and came to my rescue when he saw me go down. He asked me if I was okay. I just kind of sat there… No words came out of my mouth. He knelt down on the ground next to me, as if to see if there was any life in my eyes or something. I shook myself, literally, and told him quite frankly “I don’t know. I think so” and hopped to my feet. I couldn’t put my weight on my left foot. I started crying.. Not out of pain (which yes.. I was in pain, but not enough to cry) but because I was terrified I had ruined my chances of running SFM in June. The pain felt exactly like I remember it feeling when I was diagnosed with Peroneal Tendonitis in high school when I was a gymnast… I had to take nearly a month off and very very slowly build my training back up once I returned. AINT NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT!

The kind gentlemen swooped me up and helped me hobble to the bus stop. It was time to swallow my pride, thank the guy, and take the metro home to dump my foot into a bucket of ice before heading to work. All day at work I was favoring my left foot as much as possible and cringing with every step. Several hours later, I yanked my shoe off as soon as clocking out….

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….Fantastic…

Sunday morning I crawled out of bed to discover it was even more stiff, and the swelling/bruising hadn’t gone down at all. I was supposed to close the bar that night, I am 20 weeks out from San Francisco Marathon, and I work 5-6 shifts a week on my feet. I wasn’t taking any chances to do serious damage and off to Urgent Care I went for X-Rays and to pray for the best. A chuckle from the doctor, something silly.. Maybe a “just lay off it for a few days and you’ll be good as new.”

Of course, we never get what we’re hoping for in the doctor’s office, now do we? Nope. The doctor came back, films in hand, chart in the other, just shaking his hand. “I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first.” I hate when they say that. Don’t give me options, just lay it on me flat.

The verdict? I will not be running the Austin Half-Marathon in February. I will however, if I take the right amount of time off, do the PT exercises, and ease back into training, be able to catch up on Marathon Training!!

I know what you’re thinking, Give me the DEEETS!
It turns out it’s a Grade II Ankle Sprain.

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I get to sport this super stylish air cast and compression brace until I’m able to put weight on my left foot while it’s straight. At which point I will start adding in dorsiflexion–plantar flexion (aka pumping my foot up and down) Which I’m not allowed to start doing until the end of the week. (insert fit of frustration, here) At which point I’ll start adding in other ankle exercises and some walking. I’m hoping within 3 weeks I’ll be able to run again and ease back into Marathon Training. At this point, I’m just thankful this happened at the beginning of Marathon training, rather than when I’m only a month or two out.

If I’m not able to run on February 7th… Just watch out world, that’s all I have to say.

I’m kind of freaking out, because yes… I know that an ankle sprain, even a grade II, isn’t exactly the end of the world or the end of marathon training. With the proper time to heal I will bounce back from this.. However, I work on my feet. I work long, and hard, exhausting hours that make my feet and ankles hurt even when I’m not injured… How does one go about healing properly while marathon training, when they have bills to pay, and those bills are paid by running around a crazy busy restaurant for 10+ hours at a time? I’ve taken this entire week off… But I can NOT afford to take any more time than that off. I just can’t afford it. I also can’t afford to be injured for more time than I already will be.

FUDGE.

Anyone out there who has been injured while working a job on their feet? How do you deal? How do you prevent yourselves from becoming more injured while still putting food on the table and a roof over your head?

The Ridiculous Case of the Bad First Dates

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[edit] this post is for entertainment purposes only. I’m not wining or complaining. Just laughing at myself and the people I’ve met ;)

I have one question for all of you fellow singles out there. Or even those of you who have retired from single life… Why are first dates so awful? Since moving to Austin as a newly single woman, I have debated starting an entire blog dedicated to the ridiculous lives of single twenty-somethings on multiple occasions.

My first date after moving to Austin was so bad that I considered shunning myself from men for the rest of eternity. Becoming a recluse seemed like a better alternative to dealing with all of the crazy that seems to be in the world. My downstairs neighbors and I hit it off almost immediately upon my moving in. We became really close and they decided a couple of weeks later that they needed to set me up with their friend. Lets call him Chuck. Chuck was absolutely gorgeous, a triathlete, and a lawyer. The odds were in his favor… Until I actually met him, and spent the entire coffee date with him trying to convince me to invest in his new business. He was leaving the law firm to start a bakery in South Austin. After several attempts to explain that I’m a poor sap and trying to change the subject, we finally got onto the topic of triathlons and running. When he informed me that he could understand why professional triathletes and cyclists would choose to dope. At which point he moved to my side of the table and put his hand on my leg. OH NO. I was done. I pretended to use the restroom, and sprinted out the door and to the metro stop.

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This is my absurd life we’re discussing here, so of course the trail of bad dates doesn’t end there.

A couple of weeks later a few friends of mine convince me to go with them to an open mic night at one of our favorite bars in the West Campus area. We end up meeting up with a group of people that a lot of my friends seem to know…. At the end of the night we all decide to go to a pool party at one of the guys’ houses. We all proceed to jump in the pool either fully clothed, or undress down to our undies and dive in. The owner of the house who has been flirting with me all night? Gets down to his underwear and just sits on the ledge of the pool. After much badgering and trying to convince him to join the fun, he informs me he doesn’t swim in pools because of the chemicals will ruin him. So, dude, why are you sitting here in your underwear then? Creep. He then lectures me on dying my hair, wearing makeup, and using an iPhone… All while he’s smoking cigarettes, mind you. At one point things get just too uncomfortable so I dry off and start telling my friends goodnight. This is when he starts begging me to stay the night. With him, a practical stranger, because if I don’t he’ll never see me again, since well… He doesn’t believe in owning cellphones. This chapter could easily be titled “The First Hipster To Try To Date Me”

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This leads me to last week, where I met an incredibly handsome and funny guy. We hit it off immediately, and my friends could tell and carried on about their evening at the bar letting us get to know one another. We had a great time. I thought to myself “wow, maybe they aren’t all crazy”.. So a few days later I agreed to go to lunch with him, where he proceeds to tell me about his plans for his NINETEENTH BIRTHDAY…. Dude, how were you in the bar drinking with me and why do you look 25?

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I give up y’all. I should just become the Austin’s version of Sex and the City, and give up on the idea of finding someone who is semi-normal. I couldn’t make this crap up if I tried. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve actually had some really great dates since moving here.. But 9 times out of 10, it ends up being a story that I go home, tell my friends, and laugh so hard about it I end up crying. It’s not like I even want a relationship right now…. It’s just terrifying to me that it’s harder and harder to find sane, good, fun people…. Who aren’t babies ;)

So I beg you to tell me, why are first dates so incredibly bad???
& your welcome for the giggles this morning. This stuff can only happen to me.

Texas Gone Arctic: AKA 3M Half Marathon Recap

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After the RnR San Antonio debacle I immediately decided I needed to A) hold off on my first full marathon. Which most of you know, I pulled out of the Austin Marathon and decided to wait until June to knock out my first 26.2 (The San Francisco Marathon) and B) I needed to register for another half-marathon to redeem myself. It was a no-brainer what half-marathon I was going to choose. The 3M Half-Marathon! This race has been on my running bucket list since I started running. I wanted it to be my first half last year, but travel logistics were going to be too expensive for a gal who was (at the time) planning a mostly out-of-pocket wedding, so I ended up running Columbia instead. This year, since I now live in Austin it was an easy decision to just go for it. :)

I set some mighty goals for myself with 3M. I really wasn’t okay with running my first full marathon this Summer without having run a sub 2:30 Half-Marathon. I just wasn’t going to accept a time any slower than that. Plain. and. Simple. It was a pretty big goal to make. If I crossed the finish line in 2:29:59 that would shave 30 minutes off of my half-marathon time in under 9 months.

The 2-3 weeks leading up to Sunday I was feeling less and less confident about the race. Work ate my life, and I missed two long runs because of work and other life events. I tried to make up for my long run last Monday and did 8 miles at a pretty easy pace and felt good. I still had no idea what 13.1 was going to bring me, though.

When Saturday rolled around I wasn’t even sure if I was going to be able to race. I had planned on hitting the expo before work, but was woken up by my boss calling me in early. Great…. All day I was so anxious. Terrified I wasn’t going to get out of work early enough to make it to the Crowne Plaza Hotel by 6pm. Around 5:30 I even went outside and had a moment where I cried a little. I was certain my chances of racing Sunday were o-v-e-r. I got out of work at exactly 6pm. When the expo was closing. Fantastic. I didn’t know what to do, so I just decided to speed across town and see if they would let me get my packet. What was the worst thing that could happen? They say no?… At least I tried… I get there, and everything is taken down except for the registration/cashier booth which was being stripped down as I walked up. I’m sure my words were a jumbled mess because I was FREAKING out, but I explained my situation. They could see the panic in my face and gave me my bib and t-shirt. I wasn’t able to get my swag bag, but screw it. I got what I needed. Insert huge-ass sigh of relief here.

Sunday morning started at the crack of Dark-Thirty. I decided to take the metro to the start area since the finish line was literally 6 blocks away from my apartment and there was no sense being shuttled back to the car from where I live just to drive back over this way. I looked at the weather and died a little. I was pleased as punch that the chance of rain seemed to disappear over night, I was not impressed with the fact that it was 35 degrees with headwinds that made it feel like 25. I THOUGHT I MOVED TO TEXAS, Y’ALL!

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6:45AM is not a time I am used to and not a time I want to start a race. I am not and may never be a morning person, but I was surprisingly alert jumping up and down at the start line trying to keep myself warm. I had planned on ditching my jacket at gear check, but when I was still freezing my booty off I decided to just keep it on. If worse came to worse I would just tie it around my waste and bring the 90′s back. ;) I was thankful at the start line to have kept it on. Mostly for the thumb holes that were keeping my hands a little bit warmer than they would have otherwise been. While hanging out I was shivering soo bad! The wind was wipping around all over the place, and the nerves of “oh god the last few weeks of training have been terrible” really kicked in. I decided then and there that my biggest priority for this race was just to push myself as hard as I can and leave it ALL on the course. Even if I didn’t make my goal, at least I’d be able to say I gave it my all.

We were off! The course starts wayyyy north by Mopac and Capitol of TX Highway, in an area of Austin I am absolutely not familiar with what-so-ever.

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The first 9ish miles are ‘downhill’. It’s a nice, easy, downhill course that doesn’t take too much of a toll on your legs, and sometimes isn’t even noticeable at all.

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Every couple of miles you can see your time during 3M. This was awesome.. I ran with my Garmin, but it was nice not to have to worry about it. I’ve never run a race where you can see your splits that often. I was surprising myself during the first 10k with how comfortable I was maintaining a faster pace than my goal. I live in West Campus, though. I knew the last stretch of the race had some pretty decent sized hills. I had to reel it in so I’d still have momentum going into that section of the race.

Mile 9 is where the bigger hills come in. We turned on to 45th street and we were running directly into the part of town I know like the back of my hand. Unfortunately, this didn’t really make the hills any easier since it was toward the end of the race. ;) But, it was really cool that the last stretch of the race was something I know and see every day.

These hills hurt. It’s a cruel joke that all race organizers are in on to always make the last stretch of a distance event, up hill… ;) I kid I kid. I just tried to tune out the pain and focus on the beautiful surroundings. Running down through campus and up MLK is a beautiful view. On Deen Keaton you get a beautiful straight on view of the Austin skyline and you cross the finish line to a beautiful view of the Texas Capitol building.

I finished in an official time of 2:28:34!! PR baby!!! I DID IT. Sub-2:30. :D :D :D

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I’m really proud of myself for just letting it all loose on the course. I may not be very fast. I may very well never be, and that’s okay because I IMPROVE all the time. I’m constantly growing as a runner, and that’s all that matters to me. :)

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and just so you have an idea of how windy it was. My hair was super hhawwwt after the race. The back was pretty much sticking straight up. haha

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Absolutely a fun fun race!!! I’ve never run a distance race in my home town. Columbia and DC were both only an hour away, but still. It was a really neat and stress-free experience! Not to mention 3M SURPASSES it’s reputation! It was a great race, so incredibly well organized. I may be a little biased because of my situation, but the volunteers were amazing. I’m so thankful they let me get my bib, even though I was absurdly late, and I’m sure they were exhausted. I saw the swag bags and they were packed with goodies, since 3M makes like, everything! :P

There were even some food trucks in the finisher’s area, but I didn’t stick around to eat anything. Once I stopped moving I was absolutely FREEZING. The space blanket didn’t protect my face from the winds :P All I wanted to do was change into something warm and head to brunch! lol

If you want to run a half-marathon with a fast course, beautiful finish, huge medal, and organized to a T… 3M is definitely a great choice!! I plan on running it again next year, for sure!

2012 I am Glad to See You Go

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It scares me and also delights me that 2012 is already coming to a close.

This year has been full of so many ups and downs. It has been without a doubt the worst year of my entire life, so far. With that being said, I have also grown so much that I don’t even recognize the girl I was in 2011. She was selfish, stubborn, and significantly less mature.

I lost a brother, my ex-fiancé, life as I knew it. But in their place I grew stronger, independent, and a new city that feels more like home than any place ever has. I ran my first 10k, 10 miler, and half marathon… I even began training for my first full marathon, even if the race itself isn’t until 2013 ;)

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As painful as the year may have been, I am thankful for the opportunity to grow and become a truly better human being, through and through. I learned more valuable life lessons in the last 12 months than I have in the last twenty-something years I’ve been on this planet. One of the most important lessons I learned, is who my true friends are.. The people who will be there for me no matter what. The people who even if we go a few months without speaking, pick back up once we re-connect as if we haven’t skipped a beat. The people who will travel thousands of miles to make sure you’re okay. Those are real friends.

friendsI even became an auntie to the most beautiful little princess.

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So honestly, as difficult as 2012 has been, it’s hard to chalk it up as a total bust. With that being said, I am over-joyed that the year is nearing its expiration date. I couldn’t be happier that 2013 is around the corner.

2013 is going to be MY year. I know everybody says that, every New Year’s Eve… However, I believe it. I feel it. I feel it in every bone in my body. It will be a year full of more growth, experiences, and love.

I, like many others have put together a list of resolutions goals for 2013. However, this year… They aren’t quite like a bucket list the way many years in the past have been. Okay, well perhaps part is ;)

  1. Run the San Francisco Marathon – my first 26.2
  2. Express my feelings more often. I have a habit of never letting people in entirely and hiding what my heart says. Enough of that!
  3. Live in the moment. I’m always planning 3 steps ahead or thinking about tomorrow. Sometimes I have a very difficult time enjoying the present.
  4. Spend more time with family.
  5. Open my heart again. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean get into a serious relationship or fall in love.. But, after Zack and I split up I shut off the very idea of romantic interest. Shut down every guy who gave me the time of day, and ended up very lonely in the process. It took me until very recently to even have the desire to flirt with a guy… Which is bizarre for me, because I have a very very flirty personality, even when I’m not interested.
  6. See the bright side of things.

That’s it. A lot of these kind of blend together. I would say 2,3, 5 and 6 go hand in hand. Without one the rest are hard to accomplish. Now, I’m ready to scream it at the top of my lungs, 2013 I AM READY FOR YOU!!!

I hope that you all have a wonderful New Years Eve. I hope you have many laughs and cocktails, and sip on bubbly champagne. Please be safe. A cab is much cheaper than bail or medical bills.

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What are your NON FITNESS related goals for 2013? What are your FITNESS goals?! Would love to hear both.

Change is Refreshing

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In my last post I said things should be calming down at work so I would have more time to blog and catch up on my favorite blogs… Oops! Boy could that be any further from the truth. heh. Between work, my sister and niece being in town and family festivities, I haven’t had a whole lot of spare time. The time I do have, I haven’t spent much of it online.

This holiday season has swallowed me up and I have no idea where my time disappears to.. Though I appear to be a changed woman this season..
I find myself in the Christmas spirit much more than usual. I have even caught myself singing Christmas songs out of nowhere throughout the day on multiple occasions. This coming from a gal who has spent all of her life despising the holiday music that is all over the place from November through January… Who am I, and what have you done with the real Charlotte?!?! ;)

Getting to see my niece was truly wonderful!! I love that little girl. In all honesty, the hardest part about being so far away from Jamestown is missing her grow up. She is soooo ridiculously close to crawling now, and she has grown an absolutely precious personality. I miss her already! :(

babyyy

uh oh. Someone tell her people make fun of duck face pictures ;)

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Baby girls and their grand aunts Margaret and Mary!

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Haylie and her Great Grandpa!

Okay, okay, enough with the baby overload!! ;) I can’t help it. She is just so beautiful.

Yesterday I found out some exciting and shocking news!! I was nominated for a #runchat award!!! I was so busy with work & family last week I didn’t even realize they were accepting nominations. So, as you can imagine I was extremely surprised when I was tweeted being congratulated for being nominated for the “best runchat participant” category!!! I am honored to be seen on such an incredible and supportive community. I was a little humbled when I heard the news!!! Thank you so much to the people who have been voting for me. Never would have expected so much support. Please take a moment to vote, yes even if you’re not voting for me!!! ;) so many great bloggers in each category.

http://therunchat.com/2012/12/vote-in-the-2012-runchat-blog-awards/

In other news, I chopped off all of my hair on Monday. It is something I have been debating for awhile. Trembling with nerves I walked in to the salon Monday after work, and told the stylist not to be offended if I cried. Amazingly, I ended up being absolutely in love with my new do. She did an incredible job taking the several seriously different pixie like photos in and she made an awesome blend and somehow nailed exactly what I wanted, even though I wasn’t even entirely sure what that was…!!! If you’re looking for a really affordable salon with awesome stylists in Austin. Alante salon on the drag is the place to go!!!

PicMonkey Collage

I was ready for a drastic change. New City. New Charlotte. New Atittude. New Look. :)

I spent a lot of my time in 2012 holding on to things when I needed to let them go, and allow them to help me grow. I would hold on to the negativity surrounding the things in my life. As 2012 comes to a close, I have felt more and more all of that disappear. It’s amazing what the power of letting go can do to your life. Starting over and taking charge of who I am and who I want to be, has been the most empowering experience of my life.

2012 has changed me. But, there are still several more days in this year. Instead of getting ahead of myself I’m going to take in the moment.