Category Archives: aboutme

Big Changes!

I have some BIG news to share!!

Ryan and I will be moving soon to Corvallis, Oregon!

Why I Love Oregon

I found a job there, and am so excited to be getting my career started. I think my new position is going to really be a great jumping off point for many good things to come. I will be moving in just a few weeks, and Ryan will follow shortly after. Even though it’s hard to move away from the wonderful friends we have made in Sacramento, we are excited to explore a new area.

The only time I have visited Corvallis is for my interview (although we’ve been to Portland for a few trips, and I had my HTC experience last summer)! It might take us a bit to get used to the winter rain, but I know we are going to love all the great outdoor activity! I know the area is great for running and triathlon, and I’m also looking forward to giving trail running a try.

Have ave you ever been to Corvallis, OR? Any favorite races in the area? Favorite trails to run? What about outside of training — what are the best things to do in Oregon? Where should we go and what should we do?

The Virtual Long run

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I’ve seen a few other bloggers (like Megan and Christine) write about what they would discuss if they were out on a long run or a coffee date… and I just had some random things on my mind, so I thought I’d play along.

If we were on a long run today, I’d share with you that my leg is slowly getting better. In fact, I ran my longest run in a couple months last weekend (8 miles!), and felt like I could just keep going forever that day (Isn’t that the best feeling ever?!). And that’s why today’s long run is still staying about 90 minutes long — I need to slowly and steadily keep my distance increasing. But I’m feeling pretty optimistic that I’m on the mend. I still don’t know what exactly the issue is, but I’m thinking it’s something to do with hip stability.

I’d also tell you how I have been doing some workouts from RunSmart Online — I won a 3 month subscription from #runchat a couple weeks ago. I think they may be improving my core and leg strength. I particularly like the strength days for after an easy run. It’s not just doing squats and lunges like other strengthening programs. I’m enjoying trying some new stuff. If you’re dealing with a running injury, could be worth trying for a little while.

If we were on a long run, I’d probably also mention how I’m starting to work on the job hunt. How strange it is to think about moving somewhere else in the country. Even though I’m excited about the adventure of it, its also kind of scary to be looking for a real job and think about staying somewhere for more long-term. How will I know if it’s the right job or the right location?! There just seems to be so many things to take into account. But, I’m trying to network with lots of people, and just take it one day at a time.

If we were on a long run, I’d also have to talk about the Biggest Loser — it’s one of my favorite TV shows. Did you watch the triathlon last night?! I thought it was so inspiring. I loved how all them talked about how they could never have done this however many weeks ago. It reminds me that we can all do something new if we put our minds to it. And also how emotional it can be to cross a finish line. This is part of why I love racing.

And before our run finished up, I’d share that I’m getting seriously excited about Ragnar FL Keys. I can’t believe its only a week and a half away! Now that I’m feeling more confident about my running, I feel like I can be more excited about it. I’m so thankful to have this opportunity to represent Nuun for this race too. And really, more than the running, I think I’m just excited to get to have a fun weekend with friends that I don’t get to see very often. Relays are just a moving slumber party with a little running thrown in there, right?

What would you tell me if we were out on a long run?!

2013 Wrap-Up

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For me, 2013 was truly one to remember. I love photographs, so to wrap up 2013, I wanted to share some of my favorite images of the year. Enjoy!

It brought me to the finish line of so many races…

..and also other fun adventures like vacations…

…exploring California…

…and finally finishing my graduate degree.

There were many miles in the pool,

on the bike,

and on foot.

And most importantly, I spent a lot of time friends both old and new.

Hope you had a great year too! I’m looking forward to more exciting times 2014! Thanks for reading along and sharing in my adventures.

What was one of your favorite adventures from 2013?

Passed!

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If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I did officially pass my PhD defense this week! Very exciting! Things went mostly smoothly during my presentation (with only a brief computer automatic restart shaking things up in the first few minutes). And I handed in all my final paperwork on Friday morning. It is so strange to be finished with my degree. But, I’m also excited to see wherever life will take me next.

This weekend we had some friends in town visiting, so it has been nice to relax and enjoy some quality time with friends. Plus, soon we’ll be traveling home for the holidays too!

Of course, I couldn’t miss my weekend run, so I made sure to get up on Saturday morning for a long run (seriously, I think long run Saturday is one of my favorite things ever). My knee has been bothering me a bit this week, so I was taking things easy. So while Ryan went out for a 19-miler, I aimed for something shorter, and then walked for a few miles. I ended up doing some running on trails rather than just the pavement, which was awesome! Total, I ran 9.5 miles, then walked almost 3.25. It made for a solid morning — plus, how can you not enjoy a beautiful sunrise like this?!

So, how was your weekend?

By the way, to celebrate the holidays, if you need to stock up on Nuun (a great stocking stuffer!!), you can get the friends and family discount for 20% off one order using the code HOLIDAY13 now through Dec 31!

It’s the Sweet Life

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Today is my and Ryan’s 4th wedding anniversary!

{photo credits: fotoimpressions.com}

We celebrated last night by cooking a tasty dinner together (Chicken with lemon & rosemary, and polenta — recipes from Michael Chiarello’s Casual Cooking), followed by cannoli’s, some sparkling wine, and watching a video our parents made for us before the wedding. It was lovely.

We were also looking through some photo albums from over the last couple years, and it was so much fun to see how much we have changed and grown even over just a few years. If you had told me 4 years ago that I was going to be training for my second marathon right now, I don’t think I would have believed it. At that time I didn’t really even think I could (or would want to) run more than 4 miles.

Both Ryan and I have become much more confident in our physical abilities through running, triathlon, and weightlifting (p90x!). We have also learned so much at our jobs and about each other. I am so grateful to have his support, but also to have him there to challenge me to push my boundaries and do whatever I really want to do. I really loved looking back and thinking about all these changes.

This weekend we will be going to Santa Rosa for a day trip as a little extra celebration. No major plans on what we are going to do there besides visit Russian River Brewing. Anyone have any suggestions?

How have you changed in the past few years?

10 Things About Me

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I figured since I have mostly been writing about running, and am still new to the blogging world, that you might want to know a few things about me. So, here are 10 random things about me.

1. I love chocolate, especially dark chocolate. It is only enhanced by pairing with peanut butter. But generally I don’t say no to most desserts.

2. I am still in school — working on my graduate degree. My undergrad was at the University of Delaware, and I attended the University of Minnesota for my Master’s degree. I’m now at the University of California Davis. Yes — I have moved a lot.

3. I grew up in Webster, NY. The thing I miss the most about being in CA is spending lots of time with my family and friends! I also miss all the leaves being so many colors in the fall– although my street is pretty nice.

4. I love beer and wine tasting. I’m spoiled for living in Northern CA with lots of both to choose from.

5. I got married to my husband Ryan in September 2009. He is wonderful and I am so thankful everyday that we are together. 🙂

6. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because everyone gets together to celebrate being thankful for what they have. And eating tasty food. Stuffing is my favorite side dish. Now that I can’t as easily be with my family on Thanksgiving, I also love Christmas because I get to spend time with them. And Ryan’s gets so excited about Christmas, so that also makes it fun.

7. Besides exercising, I love photography. I have mostly used iPhone photos so far on the blog, but hopefully I will get better at bringing out my nicer camera on a regular basis to take some of the photos with that too.