To You, I Ask

Questions that I ask in preparation for the half marathon:

1. What am I going to wear?

2. What am I going to eat before the race?

3. What am I going to eat the week before the race?

4. At what mileage should I peak?

5.  How long does my longest long run before the race need to be?

6. Is it going to hurt?

7. Ok, duh, it's going to hurt, but will I be able to push through?

8. Am I crazy?

9. I'm crazy.  I'm crazy.  Can I get out of this somehow?

10. Calm down.  There's no question here, just some deep breathing.

11. Are my feet going to be able to handle 13.1 miles?

12. Do I need to start working out my arms more to handle the pumping of that distance?

13. Can I sleep the whole Saturday before the race?

14. Can I sleep the whole week after the race?

15.  Can I sleep right now?

16. Do I need to watch what I eat during the holidays in preparation for the race?

17. Does that mean I can't have Christmas cookies?

18. What about egg nog?  It's healthy, right?

19. What's the weather going to be like?

20. What am I going to wear (part two)?

21. What if it rains?

22. How much is this race going to rock? 

Here We Go

Taking deep breaths...

Just registered for the 13.1® Los Angeles half marathon. 

Wow.  This is now real.  I have no choice but to train.  I can't back out.

I'm pretty sure the Rocky song will be replayed many times between now and then to pump myself up.

I Like You Too Much

I talk a lot about love on this blog.  Love for running.  Love for Austin.  Love for the boy that makes my heart smile.  And it's true.  I believe 100% in the power of love.

What I've found out in the last few weeks, though, is that love doesn't have to be shouted from rooftops or made into large, grand gestures. 

Love is ... reading side by side, knowing that the silence between the two of us is comfortable and warm.  When I think about my future, this is exactly what I see.  I hope to be reading next to this boy for the rest of my life.  We've got a ton of books to get through. 

Love is ... doing laundry together and laughing when one of my shirts ends up in his basket.

Love is ... splitting a dinner instead of ordering two.

Love is ... letting him park in my garage parking spot so he doesn't have to hunt around for an open space on the street.

Love is ... sending interesting articles to one another in the middle of the day because while you are reading said article, your mind immediately thinks of him.

Love is ... thinking about him all day.

Love is ... adding in some yummy toffee to his bag of leftover food for him to take home.  It's a sweet surprise!

Love is ... seeing the pup perk up when he hears the boy's car lock sound.  Yes, Austin knows exactly which beep comes from his favorite wrestling buddy's car.

Love is ... watching my two boys wrestle.

Love is ... saying 'I'm sorry for being a jerk' and then sealing that forgiveness with a kiss.

Love is ... him hi-fiving me when I say I ran three times last week.

Love is ... wanting to spend every waking minute with him and cherishing the ones that you actually do get to spend together.


I know, I know.  It's all super sappy.  But I feel like we are at a point in our relationship where everything is special with him.  I'm still wearing my love-tinted glasses.  To be honest, I hope I never have to take them off.

Where the Streets Have No Name

I dropped the ball on Music Monday last week, so I had to make right by all of my readers (wait, are you guys still there...is this thing on?).

And so, I present to you U2 and a song about running, because that's what I did this weekend.

The boyfriend and I ran a trail 5k this weekend in Elysian Park in LA.  Here are a few of my thoughts about the whole thing:

1. The location was amazing.  We could see directly into Dodger Stadium from across the freeway.  It looked empty and sadly forlorn.

2. We almost couldn't find the race.  The start/finish was in a remote part of the park that was really difficult to find (made worse by the bad Google directions that the race had posted on their website).  People were literally driving circles around the park because there weren't any signs directing us to the right spot.

3. This is the second time this race was put on.  I expected a small turn-out and a little disorganization, and was disappointed when the race started 25 minutes late.  By that time, I had done a warm-up, had cooled down from the warm-up and started to get hungry.

4.  Switchbacks in the sun.  That's all I have to say.

5. My mind was really strong during this race.  It didn't turn on me, probably because I kept saying, "It's only 3 miles...heck, 3 miles is nothing."

6. My body felt pretty good.  Nothing hindered my performance, which is all I really ask for anymore these days.  My time was pretty decent, considering there were some hills.  Of course, I couldn't catch the girls in pink sports bras and shorty shorts.  Oh, and the guy who won the race in 14:41 should probably be tested for steroids.  What a beast!

7. I was the first female to cross the line in Vibrams.  And you know what that means? I got a free pair of Vibrams!  I was pretty stoked.

8. He wouldn't want me to tell anyone, but I beat the boy.  The best part of the race, though, was at the end when, even though I had gone across the finish line first, he came over and hugged me and told me how proud he was of me.  "I've got a badass girlfriend" were the exact words. :) 

9. It was refreshing to run a 5k after a few 10k's.  While racing can be fun, for me it's a time to really see how my body handles the "stress" and pushes through.  And of course, to give me a little confidence boost that I'm not totally out of shape.

Delicious Autumn!

For some reason, Norah Jones makes me think of the fall season.  Maybe it's the warm, gravely quality of her voice that makes me want to curl up in a blanket with a cup of hot tea and a good book.  Although not from this song, the lyrics from "Thinking About You" are perfect for this post.

"Yesterday I saw the sun shinin',
And the leaves were fallin' down softly,
My cold hands needed a warm, warm touch,
And I was thinkin' about you."

Now that October is upon us, it's officially fall, my favorite season.  But, because I live in southern California, fall is not the real fall I've grown to love.

Instead of the leaves turning a gorgeous golden color, all we get is a little bit of a chill in the morning air.

 

I miss this view. 

Instead, this is what I get to see:

Ok, that's not the temperature at my house by the beach, but that was the temperature inland this weekend.  97 degrees in October!  That's pure madness.

Fall means:

1. Apple cider
2. Candy corn
3. Running in long sleeves and tights if it gets cold enough
4. Throw blankets
5. Scarves
6. Comfy sweatshirts
7. Cute boots
8. It's almost Thanksgiving...
9. It's almost Christmas...
10. That means I get to go home. :)

Happy autumn!

Clean Up Your Own Backyard

Although this is a classic Elvis song, I don't think that the problem I'm going to write about is really what Elvis meant by "clean up your own backyard."

Here's what happened this morning...

I bought a new pair of Vibrams this weekend.  Man, are they cute...purple and gray...they make my feet feel very girly.  I took them out for a spin this morning and inevitably, because they are a new pair of shoes, there was a little bit of rubbing and chafing.  I got about 10 minutes out with the pup and I decided that to go any further was going to do severe damage (and I had just come off a good week of rest).  I could have turned around right there, but wanted to go a little bit longer, so I decided to take off my Vibrams.  I am a "barefoot" runner, after all.  So, here I am, running barefoot and as I'm jumping over rocks and such, I noticed something.

There was a TON of dog poop stains on the sidewalk.  And, not only stains, but also places where a dog went, but the owner couldn't get all of the poop off the sidewalk.  Residue poop...that's the worst.

WHEN DID IT BECOME OK FOR A DOG TO POOP ON THE SIDEWALK?

Did these owners train their dogs that they could squat wherever they wanted to?  Austin is a total grass pooper - he won't go unless he's on the green stuff.  Especially today, as I was staring down at the ground even more so, I noticed that this poop residue wasn't just here and there, it was EVERYWHERE.

At the same time, when did people lose the common decency to pick up after your dog?  When did it become ok to watch your dog poop & silently stroll away, leaving me to step in that mess later?  To me, people have become lazy and inconsiderate.  Elvis was right in saying that we need to clean up our own backyards.  Take the five seconds, FIVE SECONDS, to pick up after your dog.  We're all here to walk on the sidewalks and enjoy spending time outside.  But when I have to stare at the ugliness that is a pile of poop, my mood sours and I get upset with humanity.  Do the simple things.  Clean up. 

If Heaven Wasn't so Far Away

As I was driving home the other day, I heard this song on the radio and it made me think of my grandpa.

My grandpa, Jose Vigil, was never able to see any of his granddaughters graduate from high school, much less college.  He won't get to watch any of us get married or have babies.  He was barely a tangible presence in my younger cousin's life, as he died when she was still young; she has a few memories of him, but not too many.  My sister and I were lucky enough to have a solid childhood of experiences with him.

• Going to the shed to get the air compressor to pump up the old, worn-out-to-the-point-where-the-leather-was-smooth basketball.
• Drinking from the outside water spigot.
• Going tubing down the small stream on their property.  We'd enter the property, hop into the bed of the truck (the only place we could ride in the bed), and drive up to the stream.  There, we'd cruise down the stream for a bit, but usually it was too cold to stay in too long.  Once it was lunchtime, my grandma would feed us Vienna Sausages & potted meat on saltine crackers.  We'd drink it down with the barrel juice drinks (you know the kind).  Those were sweet, sweet times when life was wrapped up in that one afternoon.  Nothing could get better than that.
• Riding horses.
• Playing in the hay loft (which was usually cut short by my sneezes and runny noses...dang allergies).
• Watching baseball on TV with the sound off (the announcers never said anything worth anything).
• Making carne seca (beef jerky)...a little bit of salt, a little bit of pepper.

Remembering these times with Grumpy makes me smile and warms my insides.  Here's a little prayer up to you, Grampito:

We all miss you so much down here.  The family is not the same without you and while we somehow figured out how to on in your absence, there is definitely a big void.  I was lucky enough to grow up with you in my life.  I worry that Nieves' memories of you are brief & fuzzy - I wish she could have known & loved you like Pilar, Sierra & I did.

Gramita is doing ok.  Things are getting harder for her - maintaining the house and land, taking care of the animals, worrying about all of us ... please help her to stay strong and not give up.  Because without her ... I don't know what this family would do.

I think that you would be proud of the people your granddaughters have grown up to be.  Pilar is so bright and talented and with focus, could do so many things.  Sierra is a very smart girl who finds interest in new, surprising things.  She has huge potential now as she graduates from high school - I hope that she sees her potential as we do.  And then there's Nieves, who is probably the most caring, sensitive, loving child I know.  She is the definition of sweetness and I can't wait to see who she grows up to be.

Grumpy, I hope you are proud of me.  I've stumbled sometimes and I have tried my hardest to be a good person.  Please continue to watch over me and guide me to do what is right.

Fight On You Stalwart Ram Team

It's college football season, peeps!

And, this upcoming weekend is the Rocky Mountain Showdown, which pits in-state rivals against each other.  My beloved Colorado State University Rams take on the University of Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday.  This is a long-standing rivalry between the two schools and gives the winning team bragging rights within the state.  CU won last year (boo) and CSU won two years ago (yay!).  So, to get everyone pumped for the big game, here's our fight song.

Man, that's a great fight song!

I remember going to my first CSU football game as a freshman.  They were giving out free t-shirts to the first 500 or so students, so of course, we had to be there early.  Because we were newbies, we showed up WAY too early and ended up hanging out in the empty stadium while everyone else tailgated. Wow, we were nerds.  But hey, we got our free shirts!

Another staple of CSU football games is the singing of Fum's Song.  Thuman "Fum" McGraw played was a great football player for CSU and became one of its athletic directors after an illustrious football career for the Detroit Lions.  His song goes like this:

"I'll sing you a song of college days, and tell you where to go.
Aggies, where your knowledge is, and Boulder to spend your dough.
C.C. for your sissy boys, and Utah for your times, 
D.U. for your ministers, and drunkards School of Mines.
Don't send my boy to Wyoming U. a dying mother said. 
Don't send him to old Brigham Young, I'd rather see him dead.
But send him to our Aggies, it's better than Cornell.
Before I'd see him in Boulder, I'd see my son in hell!"

It should be noted that when CSU was first founded back in 1870, it was known as the Agricultural College of Colorado (hence the Aggies reference).  The name of the university has since been changed to Colorado State University, but in reference to it's agricultural heritage, we've been known to say, "Go Aggies!"  The school has also started a big push to remembering the history of CSU and every year, for the Ag Day football game, people wear the old school colors: pumpkin orange and alfalfa gold.

And then, how could anyone forget the famed CSU trombone suicide routine?!  The crowd goes absolutely CRAZY when the band busts this out in the middle of their marching routine.

Being part of something bigger and feeling like you are a part of a great community is awesome.  CSU taught me this and this week is big for us.  The Rams are going into the Showdown 2-0 and the Buffs...well, they're 0-2!!  I don't want to jinx anything, so all I'll say is, "Here we go Rams, here we go!"

Don't Hate on Disney

So I'm mandating (that's right, mandating) that today is Tuesday tunes because I didn't post yesterday.

Growing up, we listened to a lot of Disney soundtracks because we were obsessed with Disney movies.  And when I say a lot, I mean we had every main Disney song memorized.  This was a favorite:

Sigh.

How come dates in real life can't be like this?


Since me and my sister are two girls (clearly), we always fought over who got to sing the Jasmine part.  Same thing happened when we would sing songs from my sister's favorite movie, Grease.  I guess we learned  how to trade off...or maybe she bullied me into singing one part or the other.

And then of course, there was this one:

My sister's favorite Disney was Beauty and the Beast.  And how could all little girls not want to be Belle?  She was brunette, gorgeous and loved books.   

Although I remember the lyrics of the songs, what I remember most about these songs is spending time with my little sister.  We'd sit on the old red blanket and pretend we were soaring over Agrabah.  She'd collect Beauty and the Beast toys, while I'd try and get all of the 101 Dalmatians.  We'd march and pretend to fight when "I'll Make a Man Out of You" (from Mulan) came on.  We'd watch the movies over and over again...those are some lines I might be able to recite.  We lived, eat, breathed Disney movies. They were our childhood.

Many people say that Disney movies give children an unrealistic view of the world.  Sure, every girl ended up with the guy, even if she tried her darndest not to fall in love.  And yes, loose strings were tied up and happy endings were a must.  But really, a movie is a movie.  And unless that is all you are exposed to as a child, I do not believe that any harm will come out of watching them.  It is a parent's duty to show you other things and to tell you that not everyone looks like you but that's what real life is about. 

Disney movies are just that...movies.  Enjoy them and sing along with them.  I know I certainly will belt them out any chance I can get.

No Matter How Far You Are

It's a fine Music Monday, peeps!  I realized something this weekend and found Ms. Alicia Keys to be able to put it into a gorgeous song.  I am a HUGE Alicia fan; I own all of her albums and have seen her in concert (which was a-to-the-mazing).  She has such a great sound and stage presence.  The combo of her classical piano background and soulful lyrics bring everything together.  So, let's take a listen and I'll explain why this song is special.


Alicia Keys - Distance And Time. LIVE by LeVitrail

Alicia starts this song with a shout-out to "all the lovers in the world separated by distance and time."  Over the weekend, I realized that I have suddenly found myself in that category,.

I live here.









My boyfriend lives here.

Ok, it's not quite like that.  It's more like 60 miles separating us.  Add in full-time jobs for both of us, LA traffic, a puppy to take care of (I seriously cannot write a blog post without mentioning Austin) and it all adds up to only getting to spend time together on the weekends, which is really, really hard.

Yes, we talk A LOT on the phone  - phone bills keep growing & minutes have to be added.  I do think this is a great way to build a relationship because if you are suddenly drawing blanks at the three-minute mark, then how are you going to get to know each other?  Our nightly conversations are lengthy and I've learned so much about him in a short span of time.

But there is only so much a phone conversation can do.  I want to be able to sit next to him, or hold his hand while walking down the street.  Being physically near each other is also important to building a relationship.  Seeing each other on the weekends is great because we can go out and catch baseball games and go shopping and hang out with friends and find cool restaurants and eat dessert (we like dessert).  Weekends afford us the flexibility of having days to ourselves.  BUT, if you hadn't noticed before, weekends are only two days long.  You can only stuff so much into two days.  This is where the struggle is.

The other sticky point is that while I want to spend as much time as I can with him, I don't want to monopolize HIS weekend.  He has friends and family in the area that he likes to catch up with.  I do like to hang out with his friends and that is a great way to kill two birds with one stone.  But as any girlfriend can tell you, we all want "only us" time.  But how can we do "only us" time without being totally insular and becoming "that" couple that only hangs out with each other?  Maintaining balance (in life and in a relationship) is a big key to staying happy. 

I guess I need to be patient and realize that things won't always be like this.  I need to embrace the time that we do have together and focus on the positives of our relationship.  This one's definitely worth working for and waiting on. 

"No matter how far you are
No matter how long it takes him
Through distance and time
I'll be waiting

And if you have to walk a million miles
I'll wait a million days to see you smile
Distance and time, I'll be waiting."

 

If I Just Lay Here, Will You Lie With Me?

(Quick note: I am thinking about making my Monday posts about music.  Music Mondays...very cliche, I know.  But I kind of like the idea of easing into Monday with some tunes.)

There are some songs that, regardless of where or when you hear them, whether it's a snippet or the whole song, you are immediately transported back to a specific point in your life.  That is the magic of music.  Here are two songs that teleport me back to 2005....Fort Collins, CO...to a simpler time in life.

In the fall of 2005, I ventured out into the wide world of college at Colorado State University.  I was about as green as they come, but was lucky enough to have met my very best friend the first day I was there.  Meaghan and I were inseparable after that.


These songs became semi-anthems that year.  We watched (and fell in love with Grey's Anatomy).  We went to see The Fray perform in our arena way before they became the national sensation that they are today.  We spent late nights talking & watching movies.  We went to basketball games, football games, volleyball games.  We went to dorm craft nights & cookie-decorating nights.  You name it, we probably did it.

We were so carefree then.  We didn't have to worry about bills or rent.  We could go to class if we wanted to, but with that, the realization that if we didn't want to, we didn't have to.  We learned about ourselves and about others and that relationships are hard, but definitely worth fighting for and cultivating if they are good.

I can't believe that this week, classes are starting at CSU.  Another year of freshman are moving into the dorms, hanging up movie posters & figuring out where their classes are.  Six years ago, that was me.  My, how times have changed.  CSU is still there, but there are more buildings.  Grey's Anatomy is still on, but it doesn't have the same draw as it used to (we never missed an episode back then).  I'm living and working in L.A., while Meaghan is living and working in Denver.  We're grown-ups now.

One thing, though, that remains a constant...Meaghan's friendship.  And the memories that flood my mind when I hear those two songs.

When You're Happy Like a Fool...

Have you ever come across a song that embodies how you are feeling at the exact moment you hear it?  It seems to say what is going through your head in a perfectly succinct way that only songs can do.

I listened to OneRepublic's new song "Good Life" on repeat this weekend.  Every time I listened to it, I couldn't believe how it made me smile and gave me this warm, gooey feeling inside.  Let me allow you the pleasure of listening to it (and really listen to it...don't just watch the video):

My life is super good right now.  Have you ever been at that place where your heart is full and your mind is happy?  Here's why I feel the way I do:

• Austin. He's a cute puppy who is always up to something. He makes me smile on a daily basis and when he comes to curl up at my feet, the world feels right.  I'm pretty sure God gave us dogs to remind us that life really is simple...they love unconditionally, and I believe that's the true meaning of it all.

• Being able to run when I want, how I want and not let my body dictate (ie. stop me from doing something I love). The freedom of just going out into the world is exhilarating.  Our bodies are magical specimens that we shouldn't take for granted.

• I've recently had the time and motivation to start reading again! And let me tell you...a good book sure does my soul well.  There's nothing quite like getting lost in the great words of brilliant wordsmiths.

• My boyfriend, Dave, makes me laugh every single day. It doesn't matter whether it's through a text, on the phone or in person, not a day goes by when I don't laugh until it hurts with him (or at him, sometimes).  His mantra to life (live like you were dying) encourages me to wake up a little bit earlier, enjoy each moment a little bit more and don't stress the small stuff.

• A job can be a job, or a job can be something you put your energy into and enjoy.  Mine falls into the latter category.  I don't ever dread coming to work.  I usually look forward to it (come on, now, I get the Monday blues just like everyone else).  My position allows me to work freely on projects I'm interested in, while helping others in departments that I'm not in, further broadening my work "education."  It's creative work that keeps the mind young, and fortunately for me, I do a lot of it.

• Simply Limeade. A drink that makes my tastebuds jump (literally) for joy.  It's not very sweet like other limeades; this one has the tartness that a natural lime has.  I'm not kidding you that when I think about it, my mouth starts watering. It's that good.

• I have friends that any girl would be jealous to have.   They truly get me.  Almost nothing can compare to a girlfriend who can finish your sentence or thinks the same thing you do at the same time.  In my mind, having one friend "get" you is much more important than having 10 friends "like" you.  Quality over quantity, people.  Find yourselves some good peeps.

• My family rocks my socks off.  We've reached the point where my parents are still my parents, but they are now cool and hip and fun to be around.  They provide advice but let us make decisions on our own.  They understand that we are adults and are out in the wide world (but that doesn't mean my mom's not going to worry all the time or pray rosaries when we go on road trips). 

Obviously there's more to my life than these few bullet points.  The beautiful thing about it all is that all of the things I've mentioned (plus the ones I didn't) meld and combine into a simple thing that we call life.  Isn't it crazy to think that we are here, living, breathing, thriving?

"We are God of stories, but please tell me
What is there to complain about?

When you're happy like a fool, let it take you over
When everything is out, you gotta take it in."