Fun Runs.

A few years ago I placed first in my age group for the Whiskey Row 10K... my claim to fame. I had trained pretty seriously for months and my hips had taken a beating from running six miles several times a week. After opting out of an MRI and taking [lots of] time off from running, I turned to other sources for cardio. 

Ellipticals were my jam and I was pretty dedicated to my relationship with them for over two years. The only problem with the ellipticals were that they lived at the gym. The type of gym that stays open 24 hours a day and is filled with plastic women and meat-headed men. I hated said gym. I had to drag myself there. On more than one occasion I had driven there only to sit in my car and whine to myself until I would put the car in reverse and go back home. 

Finally, in June, I ended my contract with that soul-sucking place, taking a ridiculous hit from cancellation fees and membership fees and hidden fees galore. But it was worth it, I was free! So I signed up for unlimited yoga through my favorite neighborhood studio and have been going religiously ever since. Unfortunately, I had little to no cardio in my weekly routine before I decided it was time to start running again. 

Let me just say, I had never loved running. I enjoyed the challenge, the benefits, and the competitive side of it but I rarely looked forward to my runs. Until I turned them into Fun Runs. I started these runs with my roommate when we still lived in Arizona. We'd go to the local high school and race each other around the track or up the stairs. From there we'd run through the surrounding neighborhoods saying "sprint to that yellow mailbox" or "I'll race you to that stop sign." It was a blast. And we still have fun runs when our schedules allow. But when he's not available, I take myself out for a fun run. I realized that if I stopped mapping my distances or timing my miles, I actually enjoyed the run. 

Here's how I do it:

1. Beat the Heat - Texas has been a very hot 102 degrees or higher for the past few weeks. After a horrible experience running during the hottest part of the day, I've learned to beat the heat. Run early in the morning or well after the sun has gone down. The roads are usually quiet, the sprinklers are usually on, and the temperatures are usually perfect. 

2. Rainy Runs - Just before or just after a rain is one of my favorite times to get out there. If you're lucky enough to have an opportunity to run in the rain, do it. If you don't smile through most of it, then I can't help you. 

3. Music is Everything - Make a playlist, please! Nothing can ruin a run faster than a bad song sneaking up on you. AND if you have Spotify Premium, you have to try the Running tab. It syncs a techno beat to your pace and it's hilarious. I had a super energetic run to the Blissed Out beat. Try it! If anything,  you'll laugh.

4. Treat yourself - Make your run special. Some mornings I'll take myself down to Town Lake to run while the sun comes up. Or I'll take the extra scenic route around the neighborhood. And on every single run, I snag a sprig from the rosemary bushes that I pass. If you rub it back and forth in your palms, your hands smell amazing for your entire run. If you ever start to feel like shit on your run, cover your face and inhale deeply. I bet that you'll feel less like shit after that. 

5. Bring a Friend - Runs are always more fun with a friend. I recommend someone who has a similar stride or pace than you. Challenge each other, make a game out of it, and catch up with each other's latest. If you don't have any friends, make some at a run club. I win free merchandise and drink discounted beer after my run club runs!

6. Don't time yourself. Unless you like to. But I find it unnerving to hear that voice interrupt my music just to tell me how much better my mile was yesterday. Just go, and run, and don't think about how far or how fast you're going. Just enjoy the time you've set aside for yourself, enjoy the capability and strength of your body, and enjoy your run. 

Twenty Five, Lately.

Twenty five felt different than any other birthday. Maybe because I was staring up at the most perfect sky in Bali on the side of Mount Batur when I made the transition from "twenty four." Or maybe because I finally feel like I am present, like I'm exactly where I need to be and I'm doing exactly what I need to be doing. I want my life to be full of adventure, and passion, and contentment. And I'm at a place in my life where I can make all of that a reality.

I'm raking in the frequent flyer miles this year. Portland in a few weeks, New Zealand in a few months, and endless possibilities beyond that. Travel has become my biggest priority and I would spend every last dime that I've ever earned if it meant seeing the world.

I'm working too much. But it needs to be done. Not only to finance my travel expenses, but also to pay for my out-of-state tuition for my bachelor's degree. Putting myself through school has been pretty rewarding, considering I really had to push myself to enroll. I'm finishing up my second session with a 4.0 GPA. And damn, it feels good.

Another expense was my enrollment in a yoga teacher training program through my favorite studio. I start my 10 week training after I return from Portland. Needless to say, I'm going to be a busy girl this fall.

I feel as if a lot of doors are about to start opening for me. And I'm ready to take some chances. Because twenty five seems like the perfect time to do so.

Stay tuned, sweet peas.

Fish "Tacos"

Although my second attempt at a month of clean eating was not as successful as the first, I still try to be as compliant as possible.

If you don't count all of those margaritas and bowls of queso that I've recently consumed...

When I saw that the local grocer had recently started carrying raw jicama "tortillas" I just couldn't resist an opportunity to create Whole 30 tacos. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you my squeaky clean, super delicious, feels like 'you're cheating' fish tacos.

What you'll need: 

1-2 filets of any fish of your choosing (I used pangasius because I always seem to have that in the freezer)

Olive Oil

2 Jicama tortillas, I use these.

Cabbage, shredded

Cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered (another ingredient that I always seem to have on hand)

1/2 Avocado, sliced

Cilantro, chopped

Lime, sliced

What to do:

Heat olive oil in a pan on medium heat

I rubbed both sides of the thawed filet with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper but you can season the fish how ever you'd like. 

Add the filet to the hot pan and cook both sides until crispy. This does not take long.

While the fish was crisping, I was shredding the cabbage. Shredding your own cabbage is so much better, but I don't blame you for buying it pre-shredded (but really, it's your loss.)

Remove the filet from the pan and set on a paper towel to cool. 

Chop the filet and add to raw jicama tortillas.

Top your tacos with shredded cabbage, tomato, cilantro, avocado, and a squeeze of lime juice. 

Eat.

..Then make two more...because they literally takes less than 10 minutes to make. 

Try.

Before I begin my yoga practice, I sit atop my mat and dedicate my energy and strength to an intention that I set. Many times it is for the people I love, maybe someone who may need it a little bit more than I do that day. But other times, I just pick a mantra. Something to focus on when my mind starts to wander or my breath becomes erratic. Something to motivate me when I'm losing speed. Something to inspire me.

Lately, my mantra has become: Try.
Try something new. Try to make a difference. Try not to continue bad habits. Yeah, we've all heard it before. Sounds like a New Years resolution, doesn't it? And how well do those ever work out?
This sort of "try" that I am striving to cultivate within myself is the effort that I put forth towards these resolutions.  Really try. At first, it was just within my yoga practice that I was applying this to; pushing myself a little harder, attempting the bendy poses that I once believed I couldn't get myself in to. But I quickly realized that the reward I was getting from my yoga practice could easily be found in all aspects of my life.. if I would just try.

The job that I was ready to walk away from has become something that I am beginning to enjoy again. I'm not only pursuing my bachelors degree, but I am really excelling at it. That hill that I usually find an excuse to walk up is now something that I sprint to the top of. It doesn't matter what it is that I'm trying to accomplish, the result is always the same. Reward. Satisfaction. Pride. Happiness. All of which are things that seem to shine out of you, the kind of things that power you to keep trying.

The Sweet Life.

Life is funny, and magical, and romantic. It can be cruel. It can be ironic. But ultimately, it is special. There is something incredible to take note of, in fact, there are many. And they are all around you.
It is the song in your earbuds that makes your heart flutter to the familiar soundtrack of an old love. It is the warmth your black coffee brings both your throat and your soul. It is the low hanging clouds that support yet another outstanding sunrise. It is the dampened dirt and pine perfume that only an Arizona rain can stir up. They are everywhere.  You just need to stop and stare. Soak it up, unashamed of your greed. Because if it brings you even a glimmer of bliss, gobble it up and beg for seconds. Fill yourself to the brim and let it burst out of you. Life may be ironic and full of surprises, but it is also short and if you don't take advantage of what it's offering you, you're wasting it. I swear, whoever said "it's the little things..." had it all figured out.

Dear Diary,

My relationship with journals is almost identical to the relationships I have with men. I pick one that usually catches my eye, something a little different but always really cute. Maybe it even has like gold pages or some little profound saying on the front. I get pretty excited about the blank pages and and starting over.. because you know that last one is only full of pages I don't care to relive. But eventually that one gets old too, and those pages are made into grocery lists...

I know that this sounds awful. But hold on.

There are two journals that have withstood the test of time and my fickle heart. Two very important little things housing my most vulnerable moments and some of my most beautiful memories. 

The red one. I sought this one out when I was 21 (those pages are definitely not my favorite to reread.) And I've written in it ever since. Sure, there are long stretches of months that go by with nothing to report or no time to share it. But always, I go back to it. Usually when something is troubling me or when I'm feeling inspired. These are the pages that are interesting to reread. I often turn to my past level-headed self and read the advice she has given me when her head was clear and she wrote with purpose. I am grateful for her for taking the time back then to sit down and spill her guts out. 

Inside, the pages cling to their spine, fragile from the few that I have torn out (with good reason, I'm sure.) Tucked in the creases are napkin doodles, a note in my mother's handwriting, pictures of my 6 year old self, and a map of Bali. Even love poems.

I am so thankful for this little bound book and the little stories it keeps. It's the first thing I would save in a fire, no doubt.

And there is the other. A 5 Year Journal that I was gifted for Christmas a few years back. This is year three and I cannot explain how much I have enjoyed writing its daily entries. Each day there is a prompt or a question to answer, discretely mapping your day to day life for half of a decade. Each day you can compare yourself to the person you were over the years, laughing at your responses or remembering things you had nearly forgotten. Some pages question you about your biggest regret,  some prompt you for a haiku about your day, others are simply asking how much change you have in your wallet. Regardless of the day or the question, it is a beautiful journey to travel with your self. 

Since reading old journal entries has almost always resulted in a cringe and a pile of torn out pages, I used to think it was a bad idea to reread your journals. But when I look back at these pages and what I had to say, I can recognize that I'm revisiting the moments that formed me. I get to travel back in time each time that I read an old entry. It's magic. I encourage everyone to keep a journal and use it as a place to be open and honest. Don't write as if someone will ever read it, do not censor yourself. Spill your guts out. You'll be really glad that you did, I promise. 

Me & Charlie Talking.

     As humans, we change constantly. Our style evolves, our taste in companions and music change, and our minds are never actually made up. We're growing each and every day, navigating our way through life through experience and belief.

     A recent school assignment has lead me to Charlie, a seventy-three year old woman who lives in my neighborhood. The project is to create a blog about an elderly person, to tell their story, and to listen as they reflect on their lives. Within the first few hours of knowing Charlie, she opened my eyes to what she believes are the three things humans require to survive. Somebody to love. Something to do. And something to believe in. 

     At this particular point in my life, these are the things that I find myself desiring or questioning most. Falling in love is easy and I've done it frequently throughout the years. A serial girlfriend by all accounts, I've found myself entering and exiting many relationships with little time in between. Since moving to Austin, I've had some time to myself to realize that this is all I need right now. Love for myself is more than enough. Whoever it is that you have to love, hang onto them. Love is a light source, love is a gift, love is the most special thing you can ever know. 

    Doing what you are passionate about is exactly what you should be doing. Where ever that takes you is exactly where you need to be. And whether it is through your career, your hobbies, or through the love you have for your cat, you have to find what you're passionate about. This passion is what will save you when you're doubting everything else. This passion is what will remind you why you wake up with purpose every morning. And if you haven't found it yet, find it, and let it fuel you.

    Charlie's beliefs made me explore my own. And she's right, everyone also needs something to believe in. Something that brings you a great deal of comfort when life is making you uneasy. Maybe it is your faith, maybe it is the yoga that you practice, maybe it is your own personal philosophy. Whatever it may be, let it guide you.

    Be healthy, be happy....be human. And let yourself enjoy the beautiful things life is offering you.