Summer Loving - Basking, Birthdays & Bikes

It's summertime and the living is easy, right?

Not quite, but it's good enough to keep this girl happy, who likes easy anyway? 

Last week was a whirlwind that had me feeling pretty overwhelmed, exhausted, happy and grateful all at the same time. It reminded me that life really is a roller coaster. The ups and downs come hard and fast, and we need to stay true to ourselves and to those who are along for the ride with us. That balance can be challenging, but it's achievable and worth it.

Happy 25 Hannah!

The weather has been GORGEOUS, and with summer in full swing all I want to do is be outside. The nice weather stays much longer in D.C. than in Boston, but I think the mentality that I need to savor every moment of it will stick with me forever.

Saturday, I got in a good workout and then spent the day by the pool. I was in my glory with sunshine, seltzer water and my new book - Thrive by Ariana Huffington (highly recommend). By late afternoon, it was time to put on my party pants to celebrate this beauties birthday at Cantina Marina (not a very popular place in D.C. in the spring/summer...NOT), with Corona-ritas and cake.

Sunday turned out to be an epic #AdventureSunday, with a 20 mile round trip bike ride to Mt. Vernon! The Mount Vernon Estate, which was home to our first president and his family, had been on my D.C. tourist to-do list so I was very excited to go. The mansion itself is beautiful and it was surreal to be in George Washington's home. We spent a little over an hour there and didn't even see half of the estate. I will certainly be back for more exploring.

Will I bike there and back again? That is a very good question. Unexpectedly, I WORKED HARD basically the whole time on the bike, (please refer to the stomach sweat in the photo below.) No, I hadn't been on a bicycle in probably close to ten years, and yes, I totally forgot how much of a workout it is. At the end of the day my legs felt like spaghetti! All I wanted to do was drink wine, eat fish (see below for a quick fish fix) and sit in a hot tub, so that is precisely what I did. Cheers to you #AdventureSunday !

Even though this #AdventureSunday kicked my butt, I was glad to be doing something physical as well as entertaining and intriguing. We can sometimes forget the many different ways we can get ourselves moving, it's easy to do , cause there are SO many! 

As far a exercise is concerned, the world literally is our oyster. Making an adventure out of a workout makes it more stimulating, and thats exactly what we are looking for isn't it? I know the 4 walls of your gym might be your haven (or might not be), but there's a great big world out there, get after it! Get creative, get moving, and get outside!

QUICK FISH FIX - I continue to be impressed with the frozen fish from Trader Joes. We thawed some sole, topped it with olive oil, pepper, garlic powder and chopped onions and baked for about 12mins on 425. Delicious!

90%

A new friend (sort of), sent me this last night after I spilled my guts to him in the gym. While I am normally pretty introverted when dealing with any kind of crisis, there are those instances where I can't control the whole heart being on my sleeve thing. This is one of them.

I am doing my best to focus on the 90%. 

In the best and the worst of times, I think this is something we should all recognize. Our attitude plays such a heavier role in our lives than we give it credit for. We cannot control the way people around us act, the things they do to make us feel good or the things they may do to hurt us. We can control how we bounce back and react to all of this or what we can do to change an outcome we don't agree with. Life is a fight and while influence is inevitable we must focus on maintaining a positive attitude. 

We are blessed to have control over 90% of our lives, so value that. 

Thank you to my friend from the gym.

Life is Precious.

This past month has taken me around the country and on a personal roller coaster.

Amazing times and memories, followed with sudden heartbreak and tragedy. It is one of those times where I am reminded to never take things for granted and to enjoy every day we have on this earth with the people you love. Life is too precious and too short to do anything else. Grab your loved ones, hug them and don't let them go for anything.

I've been MIA for awhile, I apologize. Heres my brief summary of the #TooFitTravel.My travels were dynamic, long and a total blast. 

• It was awesome to see SF for the first time: the crazy hills, the crooked street, Fisherman's Wharf, Alcatraz island and the crazy Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon. I managed to squeeze in a Bikram Yoga class and a VERY hilly run through SF while I was there.  The weather is COLD, the chill from the fog cuts you like a knife at night and in the morning. Needless to say, I was thrilled to get to the mediterranean climate in Napa/Wine Country. It is even more beautiful and serene that I had imagined, and of course the  wineries and the wine were to. die. for. Also to die for, In & Out Burger...
• Surprising my Mom for her birthday was so great! I was so happy to pull it off since more people ended up finding out beforehand than I anticipated. Quality time with my family was wonderful, and Massachusetts in the summer time is wicked awesome. (Yep, I said it.) 
• The night before surprising my Mom, I got together with a bunch of old friends from Boston. It was so fantastic to see everyone, some people I hadn't seen in a year, and it felt like nothing has changed between us. These are my lifetime friends.

• After some time in Boston, I headed to the Women's Campaign School at YALE. A week of political bootcamp with some of the best in the field. I met some AMAZING people. One in particular, who shared my frustrations for not being able to work out, and the wrap/sandwich lunch options at the school. I barely slept, worked out twice and ditched the diet to get by with the fuel that was given to me (as I had no time to get anything else.) I learned more, and pushed myself more intellectually than I ever have before. Ended the week with a kick butt thesis presentation (holler to group F), running on fumes and never wanting to see a wrap again.

• 6am the next morning I was on a flight to New Orleans to meet my girl friends for a birthday bash. And what a bash it was! No sleep, lots of booze, dancing, laughing and being in awe of all the NOLA is. Bourbon street is nothing short of crazy, surviving feels like an accomplishment. The history and the culture of the city is pretty neat, and I'm happy to have experienced it.

Coming home after the whirlwind was fantastic. 

It felt so good to be in my own bed, see and hug the people I had missed and get back into the routine. Getting back into working out was a struggle, but that wore off after sticking to it pretty quick. Eating healthy wasn't even difficult. I got my hold on everything pretty quick, had much to look forward to here and was thrilled about it.

However, the peace and happiness of being home has come to a screeching halt. A sudden jolt in my personal life along with the passing of a co-worker have me in a devastated state of shock. 

This sudden jolt and seemingly senseless tragedy today, have put me on my ass, and feeling like something or someone heavy is stepping on me. 

I am so fortunate to have an amazing team who is there for me and telling me that I am "one of the strongest most optimistic people" they know. I am grateful for them, and their reminder of who I am. 
I am clinging to the best piece of advice I have ever received: "your success in life comes from associations". There is nothing more important in life than your relationships, with yourself, and other people. They will not only make you successful, but they make life worth living.

Today, especially today, I am feeling that life is too short to not share it with the people you love dearly. No fear in the world is worth any regret, I truly feel that regret is the worst pain. Do everything you can to have no regrets, don't be reckless but don't play it safe either. We only get one shot at this. 

Make sure you knock it out of the park. 

Travel Too Fit

Cheat days on vacations are inevitable, and should be embraced and enjoyed.

However, when everything you eat is crap and you drink your body weight in frozen margaritas, embracing coming back to life and diet is nearly impossible. It's enough to have to readjust to reality after a vacation without the stomach gurgles and "fun pounds" we've packed on throughout the trip.

Worrying about getting EVERY workout in, and maintaining your carbs to protein ratio while traveling, defeats the whole purpose of a vacation. You go away to detach and relax, so do that. Adding stress or missing fun activities due to your health/fitness plan isn't necessary if you're just trying to keep yourself in check. If you are on vacation and the day you get back you are running a marathon, thats a different story. But for me, and most people I know that are traveling/vacationing, that isn't the case.

While it's easy to let everything go while traveling, work outs and diet alike, it is not that difficult to keep it reeled in a bit. It does take some effort to find the balance between indulgence and binge but not THAT much, and the perks are worth it, especially if your vacation involves being in a bathing suit.

• You can still have your cheese fries and corona (Fl'12). 
• You can even have those 3, or 4 hot dogs after leaving the bar, cause the hot dog man takes credit so why not (Fl'13). 
• And you can even drink a bunch of beer, and do as many shots as it takes to turn yourself into a "Woo Girl", or boy (Every girls trip ever).

In the mix of those indulgences though, maybe throw in a quick workout during a lower key part of the day. When I say quick, I mean quick, just a little something to remind your body of it's fitness. Basically just telling it, "Hey so, about last night. I usually don't do that. Let's just move on, ok?"  Snap back into your fitness self for a minute and do something, anything to reset. Sure, finding a nearby class would be ideal, but even a few quick circuit's or a light jog will do the trick. You don't even need a gym either, so don't even try that one.

As far as eating goes, enjoy. If you already eat clean and fairly healthy regularly, you probably won't want to "cheat" every meal. After a big chow-down (examples mentioned above), try to reel it in with your next meal and eat something "good". Give your chance to relax from your diet but don't forget about it. 

Also, DRINK TONS OF WATER.

Lets face it, this is something we know we should do, and have good intentions for. I'm guilty of not following through and being annoyed when it takes my body a few days to reset after vacation. Over these next couple weeks, I am going to be the little jet-setter and going to try to keep the balance throughout my travels!

I will keep you posted :)

Fit Fashion Friday: Red, White & Blue!

No 3 colors look better together.

This week's Fit Fashion Friday theme is simply Red, White & Blue! Throughout your Memorial Day weekend, be sure to make these colors a BIG part of your wardrobe! 

Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone!

While it is super exciting to have a long weekend, I hope you all take a somber moment to reflect on what this holiday honors. Say a prayer for those brave men and woman who have sacrificed their lives for our country and all that it stands for, and say a prayer for their families. 

Count the blessings in your life and be grateful for every single one of them. As Americans, we are fortunate to be blessed with much more than others in our imperfect world. Memorial Day is a time to appreciate those blessings whole-heartedly, aside from any politics and opinions. 

The colors of our nation's flag represent the same thing to all of us on Memorial Day. Honor and respect to those have gone before us to make our nation a safer and better place. 

13.1 Highlights From My 1st Half

May 18, 2014 - a little past 9am, I crossed the finish line of the Marine Corps Historic Half in Fredericksburg, Va.

My Stats

• My official time was 2:05:32 with an average pace of 9:34 per mile. 
• I placed 2,139th out of the 6,023 competitors who ran the 13.1 miles of the Historic Half
• I placed 697th out of the 3,041 female competitors .
• I placed 71st out of the 236 competitors in my female, age 20-24 category.

The whole weekend was perfect, from my first sight of the finish line structure to the post race ice cream cone at Carl's (a must try in Fredericksburg, Va.)

Here are 13.1 highlights from the weekend of my first half marathon: Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon 2014!

2 Marines, who did not know each other prior
to meeting at the Expo. They never noticed
they matched. 

1) FIRST GLIMPSE AT THE FINISH LINE. It's quite a feeling to see the Finish Line all decked out, especially as a rookie racer/runner. You can't help but anticipate how amazing it will be to cross it at the end of the race, and just what that will signify to you. 

2) HEALTH/EXPO EVENTS ARE COOLER THAN THEY SEEM. The expo the day before the race had everything from event apparel, running gear and physical therapy to fitness performances, a great speaker series and adorable pups from Dog's on Deployment. Also, I met an Olympian. 

3) SO MUCH CAMOUFLAGE. I expected this on race day since the Marines put on the event, but I found that it's not uncommon to see this print sported by Marines outside of their uniform. Also, it seems to be best worn with black. Additionally, Marines look GREAT in Camo - but that is not something I found out this weekend. OORAH!

4) CARB LOADING & REST IS THE BEST RACE PREP. The week prior to the race, I resisted doing crunch time training (that I really wanted to do). I went easy on the workouts and hard on the eating (good carbs),hydration and lots of rest, it was kind of heaven. Race morning, I felt ready and rearing to go, I'd even go as far to say; physically perfect.

5) MANTRAS DO HELP. Nick had suggested coming up with a Mantra that I could repeat while running to remind me of various things with form and to keep me focused and motivated. I kept trying to put things together "Hips, elbows, chest, breathe" etc., and would forget them quickly. One Mantra for running form finally stuck, and Nick put it on one side of his sign to remind me, "Stride, Wrists, Chest, Relax". Another Mantra for running up the hill he gave me was "Pull the rope" which helped me think of literally pulling myself up the hill. I actually said "Pull" to myself out loud a few times when nearing the top of the hill along with "I'm not stopping".

6) EAT DRINK & BE MERRY. Throughout the course, there were official spots for water and gatorade. Additionally, there were many unofficial points created by spectators with liquor, specifically tequila and even some other yummy snacks. I didn't indulge but some runners did, and in my next half, I certainly plan too. Given how happy I was with the Sports Beans at mile 8, I can only imagine how this would enhance my race experience. 

7) SIGNS ARE AWESOME. Signs are fantastic for helping runners spot their spectators and for additional encouragement and entertainment along the course. Some that gave me a smirk throughout the race read; "Sweat=liquid awesome", "Smile if you're not wearing underwear" (I was), "Smile if you peed a little" (I didn't) and "If running were easy, it would be called your Mom". 

8) RUNNERS FELT SIMILARLY ABOUT HOSPITAL HILL. While this was certainly the most dreaded part of the course, myself and many other runners took this climb as a personal feat. I got pumped for it and told myself I was going to make Hospital Hill my...Well, you get it.

Me stomping on the Hospital Hill
point on the course map.

9) THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. The Marine Corps Historic Half is certainly very special race. It is put on by those whom dedicate their lives to serving our country, so that such events can exist. I did not miss a single "OORAH" or a chance to thank a Marine for his service as they handed me a cup of water along the course. In particular, I was sure to shake the hand of the Marine who placed my medal around my neck.

10) NOW THATS ENTERTAINMENT. I had a "keep running" playlist ready to go, and I actually kept it turned down way for the majority of the race. It felt like everywhere I turned there was entertainment, of all sorts too, and I didn't want to miss a thing. A wide variety of live music lined the course: live bands, radio stations, big pipers, drums, and other various instruments rocked the run. I even saw some 1800s style dancing in downtown and loved seeing how spectators got creative with their ways of supporting.

Visiting the Battlefield in Fredericksburg.
Storming the storm wall just as the Irish
Brigade did in 1862. 

11) FAMILY TIES. Fredericksburg in rich in our country's history, one of the most major battles of the Civil War took place there in 1862 (Battle of Fredericksburg Info). A relative of mine, Timothy Donoghue of the 69th New York Infantry Regiment, the Irish Brigade, fought in that battle. While wounded himself, he carried an injured officer off of the field in between the lines. For this heroic act, Donoghue was the first Irish born Civil War soldier to receive the Medal of Honor. The course brought us runners near the battlefield, I had chills. To think that the ground I was running on once held my ancestor and thousands of soldiers fighting for the future of our country was incredible.


12) FINISH STRONG. After Hospital Hill at mile 10, followed by another good hill at mile 11, the course had given me a run for my money. I was tired, but did everything I could to pick up my pace for the last 1.5miles of the race, and I did. When the finish line came into sight, I "dropped the hammer" and sprinted as hard and as fast as I could to cross the finish line. I'm not exactly sure how/where this burst came from as I certainly didn't feel like I had any stored energy. Adrenaline and excitement played a part I'm sure, but I think it was more my determination to give this thing EVERYTHING I had. That last bit of everything I had made my finish, and it was a rush to finish strong.

13) POST FINISH STRETCH, HUGS & BEER. I crossed the finish line and immediately bent over to catch my breath, which I never do after running. (I also had never ran 13.1 miles before with a big sprint push at the end so that explains it.) I composed myself and met up with Nick for one of my favorite hugs of all time. The kind of hug someone gives you when they're REALLY proud of you, nothing better. I was definitely feeling the love, but my legs needed it too. Stretching had never felt so good. Additionally, each runner was given a complimentary post finish beer. Let me tell you, at 9:30 in the morning after running 13.1 miles, that Mic Ultra tasted like HEAVEN!

AND FINALLY THE, .1). My first half marathon was a blast, that really is the best way I can describe it. I truly enjoyed every minute of it. For a few, brief moments, I even caught myself thinking "Maybe I'm up for a marathon?". However, there is a reason this is only the .1 guys, so let's not get excited. It is pretty interesting to see what your mind can come up with once it gets going!

Thank you, thank you, thank you, to those who sent kind words of encouragement, support and congratulations throughout the weekend! I was truly touched and inspired by everyone! 

It was an amazing & truly memorable experience! Proud to say I have #runwiththeMarines!

First half marathon - done! Who is in with me for my 2nd!

Fit Fashion Friday: And I quote...

The worlds of fitness and fashion collide again this week...

The Too Fit favorite fashion blogger and newly established rookie runner wrote the following this week in her "stripes and florals and coffee talk" post this week...

"I've actually fallen in love with running. I've wanted to be a runner so bad for so long but never stuck with it. I could never get past that first 10 minutes but now I've really enjoyed the challenge of running, pushing myself to commit to something and the feeling of accomplishment afterwards. An added bonus is finding new motivating music. When Rather Be comes on, I imagine I look a bit like Phoebe."

This diva is sticking to her fitness challenge, subbing out her heels (and other adorable shoes), for running kicks to train for her first 10k. My heart smiled so big when I read this in the midst of a dose of fashion and fun on a Dash of Gold. 

I am pretty sure no one "likes" running initially, but the more you do it, the more you find yourself finding ways to love it. Whether it is an awesome playlist, pretty views along your course, or just getting lost in your own thoughts, you CAN fall in love with running. 

This goes for any fitness activity that doesn't exactly tickle your fancy right away. Ditch jumping the gun with statements that are excuses for simple not taking the adequate time to warm up to something. "I hate spin", "I'm not a runner/swimmer", "Yoga isn't for me", "I can't do weights, I have no upper body strength" - Shut. Your. Mouth. Just because you have never done something before, or tried it once and didn't like it, does NOT mean you "can't". It means you're going to have stick with that fitness activity little longer to find out how you can like it and even grow to love it. 

I am so, so happy Nicole has done this and found a love for running. Such an accomplishment is as rewarding as it is challenging! 

Also, I cannot wait to see her race day outfit!