Pace.

"The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time." 

- Abraham Lincoln

Photo Cred: Katherine Cresto

The whole "one day at a time" bit is difficult for those of us who love instant gratification to fully grasp. I am not a patient person, I know this to be one of my faults. There is a lot that I want from life, the world, the mall and the gym, and I would like it now. 

I have never been a "pace" person, until half-marathon training forced me to do so.  In that case, it doesn't take long to realize that the first sprint that empties your tank before 1/4th of your race is over, probably wasn't such a good idea. Getting my pace to where I want is a constant challenge for me.

The Marine Corps Marathon is this weekend, and to me running 26.2 miles is SO damn impressive. I know a few people running it, one of them quite well actually.

Good luck and huge props to ALL of the runners Sunday, I am cheering you on!

Myself & some guy who is running the MCM that I have
a crush on...This was NYC 2013 the day after he ran
the marathon there.

In training for a marathon or a half marathon, pace is a HUGE thing. Figuring it out is tricky, takes work, takes time and patience. This I've found to be applicable to a lot of the things I am working to do in my life, none of which offer instant gratification.

As I continue to "grow up" my endeavors and goals become more extravagant, material things I want are more expensive and my expectations of myself and my relationships have sky rocketed. This is a part of the natural progression (I think) and it's a good thing. 

• I'm learning my potential and I'm anxious to use it. I now know theres a great big world out there, that I am compelled to explore and change for the better. 
• Trendy stuff isn't as appealing to me anymore; I deem looking and feeling good in a pair of really nice jeans to be a necessity along with a reliable vehicle and a "homey living space.
• Quality over quantity has  proven true in regards to relationships. I've realized that cutting the bullshit and fair weather folks gives you a bigger appreciation for the truly genuine people in your life. No relationship should ever be forced, rushed or settled for, if it is it's probably not worth it. 

All of this sounds fine and dandy right? Even adult-like? Well yeah, it is, but it's certainly all easier said than done. None of what I mentioned above happens instantly, without work, time and emotion in figuring out how the hell to do it. The light bulbs will come on gradually when something needs to change or improve, but specifically how, when and what to do is left for us to figure out. The most important part I think, is to determine your pace in doing so. One that is both reasonable and realistic, and then sticking to it. All the awhile understanding the importance of it's existence and being patient with results. My Dad always says, "if you do the right thing, the right thing will happen", it just doesn't always (almost never, actually) happens as quickly as we want it to.

I'm NOT saying timeline out every endeavor, absolutely not. What I'm saying is that we must understand that bigger changes, improvements and life transitions take time and need to be done at a pace. You can't rush anything without expecting to have to do it all over again, and with grown up stuff,  thats pretty scary. We can't treat life as fad diet, a get rich quick scheme, a dash down the aisle or a hop scotch game from job to job/place to place.

It's not a sprint, theres not one finish line there about one million throughout the course of our lives.

We need to pace for it.

Holy Hiatus. What's Been Happening: 5 Takeaways Since My Last Post.

I wish there was a good excuse for why I haven't posted in MONTHS. Writers block, lack of inspiration, too busy...nope none of that. Sorry about that guys!

I mean yes, I am crazy busy (who isn't), but I've actually had a lot on instances where I go "I need to blog about that". That laundry list has grown to be pretty long, so I made a list of the top 5 take-aways since my last post. Also included, some photos from what I've been up to! 
I'm back!

Toomey family vs. Washington

Top 5 Take-Aways Since My Last Post

1) Heat exhaustion. 

SUCKS! Happened to me on an afternoon in the high seventies, so not exactly a scorcher. It kicked in at the end of a 6 mile jog and I didn't quite know what was happening, just chocked it up as fatigue and being out of running shape. 
It's definitely serious if it progresses too much, so keep aware to recognize these signs: muscle cramping tightening, dizziness, disorientation, irritability & nausea. If you do find yourself experiencing these symptoms, stop running, get horizontal, and naked (take off your yucky running clothes), hydrate with water, eat what you can and drink as much Pedialite as you can stand.
It does take a bit of time and maintenance to recover, my episode hadn't progressed too far and I felt yucky for about 24 hours after, while constantly hydrating with water and Pedialite. 
Avoid episodes like this by staying properly hydrated and fueled when doing any activity in even the slightest bit of heat. OH, and listen to your body! If somethings feels off, it probably is, don't "tough it out" as it worsens. You could end up completely out of it, with a blanket over you on your bedroom floor as your 2 neighbors (who you've never met) are standing over you telling you to drink water as your boyfriend sprints to CVS. True, and embarrassing story.

2) People are stronger than we think, so let them be.  

From the moment you meet someone to the point in your relationship where you feel the closest with them, it's nearly impossible to really "get" all the battles they've fought or have been fighting. Our role, as friends, significant others, family members etc., is to let those people know they aren't fighting it alone and in whatever capacity they need, or don't need you, you're simply there. Expressing rage about their tough situation, or saying how much you'd like to knock your friends ex out, only goes so far, for you and the person you're trying to help. Just be there. Then find yourself blown away by how perfectly your girl friend handles that awful break up,  and learn from that person who has used the value of acceptance and faith as fuel in their fight. You will find yourself taking some pages out of their book.

When summer doesn't end in September in D.C. This is what we do.

3) Making decisions. 

Sometimes deciding when/where to go to dinner can be a point of stress for me and what to wear to that dinner...thats a whole other thing. It's easy to get stressed out by decision making on matters that are large and small, but it does get to a point where we can only look so much before we leap. There are many things in life we need to swallow our self certainty and just go for, all in. I'm not saying to ditch any intuition (especially us girls), but do your research, soul searching, whatever and come to a decisive conclusion. Deep down, we know what we want and need. We just need to make the decision to go get it.

Yes, I celebrated my 25th
on a Pirate Party Yacht.

4) Birthdays will ALWAYS be something to be celebrated. 

Turning 25 had me in a bit of a quarter life crisis mode. I don't know if it's being able to rent a car, or officially being in my mid twenties, but leading up to this birthday was the first time I had ever had that funny, "Oh gosh" feeling about a birthday. I began evaluating all the things you think you're supposed to before a pivotal birthday. I soon realized all of the things that are deemed "important" by the faceless "society" are all pretty much bullshit and don't weigh significantly on the level of happiness I have in my life. So I did my own evaluation, which may have been a bit biased, since I get to live in my pretty awesome life, but too bad. "It's my birthday." I can report that I am doing pretty damn well for a girl in her MID TWENTIES.

5) Don't Obsess. Don't Settle. 

This could be applied to ALOT of aspects in life, but here I'm referencing it in regards to diet. I've been more lax with my diet recently, mostly with more cheat days than normal but also letting myself slide when theres no reason to. No, I don't regret the half dozen Georgetown Cupcakes I ate during my Birthday weekend, but yeah, I do regret the random donut I had on Wednesday morning at the office, simply because it was there. I don't and will never believe in obsessing over diet because it's too simple of a thing to be obsessed over. Eat great, feel great, look great. Eat bad, feel bad, look bad. I do believe that it does take some discipline,  more than we'd like, to not settle for letting our eating habits slide just a little too much. All of us have been or are guilty of being on one end of the scale of diet obsession or settling, it's all about the balance, and I myself need to get back to it!

Again, totally sorry for the hiatus! Hope you enjoyed the update and are ready for more to come! Heres to big things on the Too Fit horizon for all of us!

I couldn't forget. The Nats, my second hometown team clinched the division!
Play offs here we come!
#NothingButOctober

Wizard Girls Auditions. Rejection & my big ego

If you're bad at rejection, you probably have a big ego.

Guilty, guilty and more guilty!
...On both accounts. 1) Bad at rejection. 2) Big ego. 

Many of you, or at least some of you know that over the last couple weeks I had been prepping for and in the process of auditioning for the Wizard Girls here in D.C. A friend of mine had suggested the idea to me, almost as a challenge a couple months ago and I went for it. 

I missed dancing, OH MY did I miss dancing, the butterflies, performing, even putting on stage make-up and tights. My heart skipped a beat every time I did something to prep for it and audition morning felt like Christmas. I had done everything and anything to be adequately prepared; hair extensions, dance and fitness training, and work with Sideline Prep (a GOLD pro cheer/dance resource). 

 All that was left to do was to perform, point my toes, smile and bask in the glory of the joy that came from it. More joy came as I made it through a few rounds, and was able to dance my way through week one of training camp. By training camp, the competition was beyond tough, the toughest and best I've seen at any audition. Not only were the other WG hopefuls fantastic dancers, they were some of the sweetest and coolest chicks I've met at an audition. 

The overall experience was an absolute blast and I'm SO glad I did it. I kept saying things like that throughout the audition process too. "I'm glad I'm doing this, even if I don't make it." "I'm just happy to have made it this far." "This is a blast." I truly felt great about my performance, and how competitive I felt, almost an un-entitled sense of accomplishment. Or maybe it was entitled, just because I was doing it. 

However, did that stop the kick in the stomach feeling when I got cut?

No.

Was I glad in that moment, that I had busted my butt to "reach for the stars"?

No.

And was my confidence where it was just minutes before getting the bad news?

No.

While in some capacity, these feelings may be natural to everyone when experiencing rejection. For those of us with big ego's, we tend to magnify them and can become over-consumed. This is toxic, and we need to cut the shit.

It's pretty crazy how fast and hard we can be knocked off our high horse. Us big ego folks, are automatically in a vulnerable spot for that while other more even keeled people are protected. But quite frankly, that doesn't matter.

What matters is putting yourself in a place to be rejected by something, or someone you care about, a lot. When I think about this, it's funny because I have done this a lot, and yet been rejected a lot. You'd think I'd get better at rejection with such practice, but no. I still cry and find comfort in oreo's and wine and have moments of questioning myself. However, in due time, I'm at it again, going for something that I feel might be a little out of reach.

It's been a week since being cut, and the sting is still there (thanks to my ego). What's not still there is the feelings of defeat about busting my butt for an opportunity that I cared about. My confidence, though dashed for a moment is back and I don't feel like I got kicked in the stomach anymore. I wouldn't trade this audition experience for anything, not even my weave (yes, I got a weave and it's awesome). 

I don't think I ever stopped truly feeling and believing the things I was saying throughout the audition process, even when I got cut. If I ever began to, my amazing, amazing, AMAZING support shut it right down, this experience would've been much less of what it was without these guys...

Senich - Thank you for the suggestion, whats next?

Kait - Thank you for making me your deviled eggs to snack on throughout auditions and for being a positive light of encouragement.

Theen - Thank you for convincing me that I would and did "kill it" and for making me feel proud in another time where I didn't think it was possible.

Mom & Dad, Friends & Family Members - Thank you for not doubting, criticizing or ever second guessing why I went for it. Your encouragement, love and high hopes for me drive me in everything that I do.

Tooms - Thank you for the text that got me out of my funk this week.

Lisa - Thank you for the oreo milkshake from our fav, dunks & big hug...it meant more than you can know!

Nick - I don't even know where to start, thank you for everything and most of all for this...

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

-Theodore Roosevelt

One Dimensional & The "Glory Days"

One Dimensional -
Synonym: Lacking depth
Antonyms: Profound

I don't know why I haven't ever examined the idea of being, or becoming one dimensional in my life before. Perhaps because I've never really seen it as an option the way I do now.

How I feel about being one
dimensional. And a way to
combat it - 3D goggles.

Living in this world of a "twenty something" has gradually revealed many things to me. I anticipated "growing up" to include some lessons, and I have been 100% right in that regard. What I did not anticipate was how easy it is to become, and how difficult it can be to not become, one dimensional.

My usage of the term is fairly loose, as I think it's impossible for any human to be completely one dimensional. However, the real world, and adjusting to it makes it easy to get on a narrowed path. Initially because, it is a transition and from there, it is very easy to get used to the status quo, which isn't so bad".You have a bittersweet feeling about this whole "adult" thing and you start to relate to songs like Bruce Springsteen's "Glory Days".

This is a funny and nostalgic time where we figure out the things we are moving on from, or moving forward with in "real life". This is tricky, and depending on what we decide, this whole figuring out thing can make us feel like our "Glory Days" are over. 

Everyone's versions of "Glory Days" are different, but regardless we've all had to let parts of them go. For instance, it is no longer acceptable to tape beer bottles to both of your hands and then race to see who can finish them first, and without puking. It is also, (painfully) unacceptable to pile on sparkly eye shadow to go have scorpion bowls at the Asian restaurant down the street, or anywhere. 

There are more to our "Glory Days" than that (hopefully), but those are clear cut things we can look back upon fondly, and say "never again". However, there are certain aspects that are less clear cut and can end up being sacrificed for the "real world". With that gray area we tend to loose sight of the crazy things we dreamed of doing, that trip we wanted to take or a passion we've always held onto. In the real world, those things take a little more work, but now more than ever, they are possible. Those things will actually never be more possible again in our lifetimes. 

You can say that I'm in denial or naive, but I'm convinced I am still in my "Glory Days" and that I can drag them out for awhile. No, I don't live like Beyonce, and yes, the aspects of my "Glory Days" have certainly shifted, but they are not gone altogether (I still have the sparkly eye-shadow, I just don't use it.) 

Most recently, I've gotten back in touch with a passion of mine that I let go by the wayside while figuring out my way in the "real world". Sure it makes me a bit busier, but it also makes me so much happier. It also has shut down the feelings of turning into a "has been" in something that I love. I didn't realize how crappy of a feeling that was until it disappeared. And guess what, my "real world" is doing just fine, actually better than ever.

When you add dimension to your life, you will be surprised by those whom step up to support you and encourage you. People who you look up to will tell you how they wished they had done more of that, and to go for it. People around you will become genuinely interested and intrigued by your endeavors. Of course, there will be people who are less encouraging, but that should just confirm that you're breaking the mold, and thats a good thing.

Quite frankly, I don't care if you're 25 or 60, we don't have to surrender our "Glory Days". It seems more older people these days get that, than us younger "kids". So I'm calling out my generation here!

I love this song, but I don't plan on relating to it anytime soon.

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.