Playlist Thursday: Been There, Done that, Got the T-Shirt

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Happy Thursday, y’all! Thursday excites me this week because it means for the first time in over 4 months that I actually have a weekend coming up! woop woop!! Everybody do the harlem shake to help me celebrate…

okay moving on! ;) Thursday means one thing over here at Wild Things RUN Free… and I’m sure most of you know what it means. PLAYLIST THURSDAY!!!

New to Playlist Thursdays? Here’s the scoop… Each week our good friend Pavement Runner comes up with a music theme for the week. Then on Thursday we all make a post on our blogs with three songs that fit that week’s theme. Something Old (A song 5+ Years old) Something Current (A song released within the last year) and Something To Consider (A wild card. Any song within the theme that you want!)

This week’s theme? Songs by artist’s you’ve seen live! LOVE THIS. So many to choose from :D so lets get this show on the road, shall we?!

SOMETHING OLD:

Artist: Radiohead

Title: Just

Side Note: while living in Florida, I took my ex Dan to see Radiohead for our birthday (we share a birthday) in 2008 in Tampa. It was such an awesome show. Easily one of the best live performances I have ever seen. Not necessarily because of any crazy awesome things they did or anything, but their level of talent and skill live just blew me away. Thom York is the only man with a lazy eye I can say is absolutely dreamy ;)

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Quotable:” You do it to yourself, you do… That’s why it really hurts, cause you do it to yourself. You and no one else.”

SOMETHING CURRENT:

Artist: Cursive

Title: Drunken Birds

Side Note: Oh Cursive. One of those bands I have loved since their first album was released in what… 1999? Yeah, pretty sure it was ’99; and grows with me. I was fortunate enough to be at Lollapalooza in 2006 the year they were performing. We missed 90% of that show sadly… but that same Summer we caught them when they hit Buffalo for their Happy Hallow tour. This song is off of their most recent album, released last February called I am Gemini (oh heyyy me too ;) ) It’s not one of my favorites by them, but still a great jam and on my running playlist!

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Quoteable: “Drunken birds weaving through sycamores… How to teach your parrot to speak… A couple more drinks, hear the jailbird sing. How a lifetime cooped up has left him cagey”

SOMETHING TO CONSIDER:

Artist: Christine Donaldson

Title: Love Me Crazy

Side Note: Okay, so I’ve never seen her perform with her band… however she has sang for us before. So talented!!!! Christine is one of my Oakley sister’s, and not only is she an insanely talented singer/musician… She’s an incredible skier and all around wonderful person!! :)

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Quoteable: “Some are afraid to love the restless. Those of us drawn to the places we have never been and the hands we have never shook. The memory of love aches like a growing pain. The more you love, the bigger your soul gets; and if love ends, every ounce of space you made for it is filled with possibility”

 

What are some of the best live shows you’ve been to? Or better yet, what’s one artist/band you absolutely MUST see live?

San Francisco Marathon Training: An Update

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In 3 months I will be running my very first marathon in one of the most beautiful cities in the USA. 10 weeks of training for the San Francisco Marathon have completely flown by. Between work and the time spent training, it’s beginning to feel like I have a part-time job on top of my full time job. Not that I think of running as a ‘job’ — just as far as time put into training goes…

Which has left very little time to sit down and write a blog post. Okay, that isn’t entirely true… I’ve had time but I’ve instead enjoyed the brief moments of relaxation or socializing. Sue me ;)

With 15 weeks left of training there are only 2 more weeks of base building before my mileage starts entering territory I’ve never been…. Quite frankly I’m getting a bit nervous about it! My body is still adjusting to running 25-30 miles (and only increasing) and working 50+ hours on my feet a week. There are days that I really don’t know if I’m remotely cut out for running 26.2 miles. But I just tell myself that the time on my feet is going to benefit me in the long run so long as I rest properly and don’t get injured.

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This is what happens when your feet are always in work or running shoes…

I’ve been playing with my training and rest days the last several weeks. Trying to find something that works for me and my schedule. The last thing I want is to have my long runs set for the day of or before I work a double shift or have to close the restaurant at 3 in the morning….(Which is typically the weekends… when normal people do their LRs ;) ) Something tells me when I start hitting those big scary numbers the last thing I’m going to want to do is work on my feet for 12 hours after. 

With a majority of my training still in front of me, I have still thoroughly enjoyed and learned a TON from these early weeks of marathon training… It’s also a huge adjustment to run in the warmer weather… I lived in Dallas for several years, but I wasn’t a distance runner at the time. Heck, I wasn’t a runner at all back then… So adjusting to the increasingly warmer and humid weather is fun. While it certainly got warm in Maryland, it was a lot more dry. After this weekend’s 90 degree and humiiiiid 10 miler I solemnly swear to never go out for more than a few miles without wearing body glide between my buttcheeks.

Life lessons you learn during marathon training, y’all.. Life lessons. ;)

 

You musn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling - Inception

I may cross the finish line on June 16 and decide that marathon running isn’t for me. However, I’m going to put every ounce of passion and energy I have into the next 15 weeks and push through all of the pain, because after the pain comes the euphoria. I’m going to train hard, have fun, and come my birthday I will be a marathoner! :)

Are you training for anything right now?

Playlist Thursday: I just wanna DANCE

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I really can not believe it’s Thursday again, already. I haven’t posted since last Playlist Thursday… These 50+ hour work weeks have been getting to me, haha. I promise to be better about that! However since it is Thursday we all know what that means.

Playlist Thursday.

New to Playlist Thursdays?? Here’s how it works… Each week Pavement Runner comes up with a theme. Then all of us in the blogosphere put together a list of our favorite songs (I typically choose ones on my running playlists) that fall into the theme. Something Old (A song 5+ years old) Something Current (A Song released roughly within the last year) Something to Consider (A wild card. You get to pick!)

This week’s Theme…. Songs that make you wanna DANCE! :D :D :D Oh yes…. Drum roll please…. ;)

SOMETHING OLD

Artist: the Jackson 5

Title: Dancing Machine

Side Note: eeeee! Look at little michael!! Those moves are fly… Probably the birth of the robot craze right there ;)

Quotable: ”She’s moving. She’s grooving dancing until the music stop”

SOMETHING CURRENT

Artist: Calvin Harris Featuring Florence Welch

Title: Sweet Nothing

Side Note: Florence Welch and Calvin Harris? How can this not be absolutely genius. I love love love love Florence!! ahhh. I may have a girl crush on her! ;) Such a hauntingly beautiful voice. Mixed with Calvin Harris’ beats…. ‘Nuff said.

Quotable: And it’s hard to learn. And it’s hard to love. When you’re giving me such sweet nothing

SOMETHING TO CONSIDER

Artist: Skrillex Featuring Sirah

Side Note: This is my jam to run to. Straight up Electronic Bad Assery. I love the Duo between skrillex and sirah. They do a few songs together and they’re all great jams.

Quotable: not realllly the best song to quote, haha.. but… “Shout out to all my lost boys”

 

 

What songs make YOU just wanna get up and dance?!

Playlist Thursday: Valentine Edition

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Happy Valentines Day, y’all! Personally, I find the day silly and even in past years where I’ve been in a relationship on the holiday, I’ve never really celebrated in any sort of big way. If you have someone in your life that you love, show them every single day!! :) However, with that being said why not embrace the romanticism of the day?

So When Pavement Runner selected this week’s Playlist Thursday to be a “random” theme, I automatically picked “love” songs. I just had to! ;)

New to Playlist Thursdays?? Here’s how it works… Each week Pavement Runner comes up with a theme. Then all of us in the blogosphere put together a list of our favorite songs (I typically choose ones on my running playlists) that fall into the theme. Something Old (A song 5+ years old) Something Current (A Song released roughly within the last year) Something to Consider (A wild card. You get to pick!)

As I said this week I chose “Love Songs” for my random theme….I may not “celebrate” Val Day or even be in a relationship but I can still appreciate (and adore) a good romantic.

SOMETHING OLD: 

Artist: Bright Eyes

Title: The First Day Of My Life

Side Note: I typically try to stick to songs that you can run to… This doesn’t really scream “run hard” but, this is hands down the first song I think of when I think of love songs. I love it! It was going to be the song I walked down the aisle to.. I still adore it. It doesn’t taint it one bit :)

Quotable: Yours is the first face that I saw. I think I was blind before I met you. & i don’t know where I am, don’t know where I’ve been but I know where I want to go. 

SOMETHING CURRENT

Artist: Beyonce

Title: Countdown

Side Note: I have a fun Beyonce themed workout coming for y’all tomorrow! ;) However relating to this song… Such a fun, toe tapping, can’t help sing the lyrics the next time you hear it, fun little jam! :)

Quotable: “Give it all to him, meet him at the finish line” AND “Ladies, if you love your man show him you the fliest”

SOMETHING TO CONSIDER

Artist: Wolfmother

Title: Vegabond

Side Note: 500 Days of Summer anyone? Oh Joseph Gordon Levitt. You are such a beautiful piece of man. swoon. Anyway, moving on…. I adore this song. It’s one that I can find myself putting on repeat for hours without even realizing. Why? I’m not entirely sure.. I think it’s that great tap your foot beat.

Quotable: Cause I’ll tell you everything about living free

HAPPY FOREVER ALONE DAY. jkjk.! ;)

Have any romantic plans today or this weekend?
What are YOUR favorite love songs?

On Dreaming Big: EuroTrip 2014

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“Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost”
-J.R.R. Tolkien

There are quite a few things I’ve always wanted to do. Things that I wouldn’t be alright leaving this earth having not accomplished. One of the things I constantly find myself coming back to most frequently, is spending a significant amount of time abroad. (by significant I mean more than just a week trip here or there)

It’s something I need to do, and something I think I need to do alone. While it’s always fun to travel in groups, I feel as if exploring this world solo would be such an incredible and empowering experience. I keep coming back to this dream and yet it’s one I haven’t actively pursued. I’m only getting older.. Which isn’t to say that I can’t take a time out from ‘real life’ as I get older, but I’m in a situation where if I budget well, I can make this happen.. and I’m also in a job where with advanced notice I can leave for a few months and still have a job when I get back. If I didn’t do this within the next couple of years, I’d be an idiot… SO

I’ve decided to put a goal out there. It’s going to be hard to pinch my pennies so I can save up for this to actually happen, but I feel like putting it out there on my blog will help keep me accountable so that I can make this happen.

During the Summer of 2014 I will be spending 3+ months in Europe. I have been putting together numbers and ideas and have come up with a tentative plan. Planning my destinations and months of travel ahead of time will help give me a better idea what kind of bank I’ll be needing in order to make this happen.

Doing my research! ;)

Doing my research! ;)

My tentative plan looks a little something like this so far:

The earlier in the season I leave the better chances I’ll have of finding a better ‘deal’ on flights from the USA to Europe. Summer is clearly a big vacation season…  I also figure it makes the most sense to go from north to south… As much as possible. Flying into Ireland is noted to be a lot cheaper than the UK. Makes sense. Ireland is on the itinerary for month one as it is, so it would work out well if that’s the case! :)

I do know this. There are several places/things that are on my must see/do list, but I also want to embrace the adventure. If I’m on the train from X city to Y city and I find a beautiful little gem along the way… How can you not stop to smell the roses? This will be a once in a lifetime journey.

If I had all the time and money in the world, I would visit every country I could.. But, since that is never the case I’ve had to narrow down where I will be going on this trip. After much consideration I’ve decided on:

Ireland, The United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Greece. Hopefully Turkey since you can hop on a ferry from the Greek Islands.

I’m really excited and also nervous for this entire thing. It’s going to be the most incredible journey of my life, but it’s also going to be interesting traveling alone for 3-4 months. I’m aware there will be days that are hard and lonely… But it’s all a part of the adventure! As John Steinbeck said, ‘Travel is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to thing you control it’

Heck, hopefully I’ll even run some races! ;) Oooou. Half-marathon scouting time.

“Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe”
Anatole France

Do you follow and travel blogs?? I would love to read some more! :)

Have you ever traveled abroad? Do you have any ‘traveling on a shoe-string’ tips? 

What A Difference a Year Makes

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A year ago today, my life changed in one flashing instant. A brief phone call and my life would never be the same. My brother was dead. I remember everything about that moment. That day. What I was wearing. What I was doing when my mom called. The near miracle it was that Zack actually had reception on campus for once. The exact amount of time it took for my dad to drive from Virginia to pick us up (3 hours 56 minutes)

I can relive the details as if it was just yesterday.

I have come so far in the last year. I let losing him swallow my life and quite frankly, quit caring about things that were important in my life. My work. My relationship. My Self Esteem (mostly thanks to the first two) It took me half a year to get my shit together and start crawling out of the hole I dug.

But here I am one year later. Happy, strong, independent, hopeful.

I felt guilty earlier this week. It’s the week of the anniversary of his death, and here I am being happy and laughing all the time. Enjoying my job, and how natural/easy life feels down here. I should be in pain, I should want to just cry all week long and long for him.

My natural instinct was to crawl into bed Wednesday night and not get out until Friday… But, that’s just not me, and it’s certainly not Matthew. He would be pissed to know that instead of celebrating life I was mourning his.

Matthew was the life of any crowd. His smile could light up a room and that energy drew everyone in.

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So instead I celebrate Matthew today, and hopefully every day. I am going to live loudly and tackle the day. I am going to surround myself with positive people, laugh and smile as much as I can and try to brighten the rooms I enter. That’s the kind of person worth remembering, and boy was Matthew exactly that.

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Matthew Howard Neitzel
03/07/1984 – 02/07/2012

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! ;) :)