Determined. To Be…

…a runner, a sister, a lover…living a fit and happy life.

Tag Archives: accomplishments


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I am proud.

I am proud…

…that I didn’t cower and revert to shyness, and faced tables of people, sitting down and talking with coworkers and folks I don’t see on a regular basis.

…that I talked to those that can be pretty intimidating ..including executives, C-level, VP, directors, and held my own. Talked the talk, walked the walk, and even talked all things barre, running and teaching ;-)

…that I chose wisely at every meal. Chose fueling options, like a salmon burger loaded with veggies and salad and no empty calorie bun that probably wouldn’t have tasted good anyway, or an apple with peanut butter vs. the oatmeal and chocolate cookies set out during coffee breaks. That I chose normally.

…that I didn’t duck out of cocktail hours and after-dinner socials, even though my boss (my security blanket, let’s face it!) left early. And stood my own. Chatted, laughed, got to know coworkers more. 

…that I got some fabulous runs in, and that my knee was strong and happy, and I didn’t push it, but ran happy and admittedly  relieved.

…that while I did need to shift my focus a bit, it wasn’t *that* hard to do, or as hard as I thought it would be.

I am proud of me…again, my third sales conference for my company, and probably my most social, outgoing, and confident experience. This is me saying it proud: go me. I think I deserved that ;-)

This week has been proof positive that once again, stepping out of your comfort zone really does lead to change, growth, and confidence.

And now I shall rest up a little bit more on this much-needed break, and then head into my last dinner and social hour before I pack it up and head home tomorrow. One more workout, a much needed ‘me’ meal, alone, decompressing, needed, after several days of hundreds of people everywhere (quite the switch for me, my little work from home niche I love so much!). And then a flight home with Meaghan, my ‘kindred,’ how fabulous is that?

Cheers, friends, and thank you for always supporting and always believing in me. XO!

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Happy things Friday

It’s yet another FEF up in here people. Finally Effing Friday, for those that are just tuning in ;-)

Good GRIEF has it been a long long LONG week of travel. Let’s see, 4 planes this week, 3 planes last week, thousands of miles in between, and I am toast. While the first leg of two weeks of travel was for pleasure, this week was just.so.tiring. So I think I deserve to revel in the fact that I am home, I am in my own home, my own routine, my own FOOD.

So here are a few things that are making me happy – beyond the fact that I am home ;-)

Getting a promotion!! I had my review while I was in the office this week in California and not only did I get a pretty sizable raise, I got a promotion! I was floored. I was hoping it would be coming soon, but had no idea my boss had been working on this for months.

Feeling like a hugely valued employee. Combine the aforementioned with the nicest, most heartfelt, most complimentary email I have ever ever received from ANYONE and I am a very happy employee. My boss’ boss (who becomes interim boss for me when she is on maternity leave – again – next summer) sent me not only a Christmas card with a gift card inside, he sent me an email that said – in effect, this: Perhaps the most special thing about you and many won’t realize, is that you are making people around  you better than they were before they met you.  I can guarantee you that in their next job they will take the things you have taught them and they will look much smarter and accomplished than they are…some will give you credit, some won’t, but I will know they are improved because they worked with you.

Um, wow. Speechless. Utterly.

(with such a tough travel week, and feeling challenged by the time change and inability to choose my own meals 90% of the time, the aforementioned, plus feeling like I ate so mindfully this week and so peacefully felt like a huge accomplishment!!)

68176_10151285028751170_1225021644_nMeeting the one and only Lindsay Cotter (AND her dog AND her husband!!) While on my cross-country ‘tour’ this week (first in California, and then in Austin), I was extremely fortunate to meet Lindsay Cotter. Finally. It’s been years of following her blog, and really becoming friends – aka blends! (blog friends!), so I was thrilled to finally meet her. We walked around the lake, we talked, we met up with James and her brother in law and their cute as hell pup at the dog park, and then I got a treat by seeing the Whole Foods HEADQUARTERS store, oh em gee. I could spend all day in there. It was a perfect afternoon and capper to one long ass week. Thank you Lindsay!! SO much! (AND for the Healthy Bites treats you gave me for my flight!!)

And a weekend ahead that is almost planLESS. Yep, you read that right. An almost planLESS weekend. I. Cannot. Wait.

Happy Friday, friends, make this weekend a goodie!


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Running happy miles…as my 6 month run challenge nears an end.

I have one week left of my 6 month run challenge and it couldn’t be more fitting for this fabulous Friday to share that I finally – finally – feel as though I ran *all* happy miles this week. Every. single. run. Awesome. Each in different ways. I’ve come to realize that this run challenge has come down to exactly that: happy running. notsomuch about miles. notsomuch about getting back to thinking about running another half marathon.

Nope.

Just. Running. Happy.

I’m writing this after one of my best runs in quite awhile. With M by my side. And this was even after teaching a 6 am barre n9ne class (back-to-back with teaching two classes yesterday, too).

See? Happy Miles Faces!

The difference? I told myself I would ‘do’ as little as possible in class (save for upper body and ab work) and it worked out so well because a) I had a bigger than usual morning class so there was naturally more opportunity to walk around and correct and b) I am learning more and more my stride for teaching smaller classes where I ‘do’ bits and pieces but focus more on form corrections and motivation.

So, while I taught 5 classes this week, I strategically planned my runs to either not follow directly after teaching or taking a barre n9ne class, or on an ‘off’ day completely from barre n9ne. And it worked. Finally. It worked.

Sunday, I ran with M (about 4 miles) before I taught at 10 am. Tuesday, I ran 6 killer miles of intervals. And rocked them. Wednesday, I took b9 fusion class in the morning and met bestie Steph for a quick and speedy 3.6 miler by a nearby lake. Humid. But awesome. And today, 5ish (5.4 maybe??) miles with M where my legs didn’t feel heavy, even though it was my last run of the week and I expected them to feel a little lead-like at first. Nope. Felt strong, yet light.

This week I ran happy miles. And as I look to next week, where I set out for Costa Mesa bright and early on Monday morning (coming home Thursday night), I am confident and even a little excited to finally get a chance to run outside before work a few days next week. It’s going to be awesome. (did I just say that?!)

Happy weekend, friends. do something happy, will ya? I sure as hell plan to do the same :-)


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A surprise party…in pictures.

While I don’t typically post on weekends, I just had to share some pictures from the surprise party…because it was just, in a word…epic!!

It went off without a hitch and I am still beaming from ear to ear!! And so is M. He was completely shocked, had NO idea, and the best part was his reaction to all of the people that came, from his entire office (including his boss), to his best friend and his other best friend that he hasn’t seen in at least a year, and to our friends that all came to celebrate and congratulate him. He couldn’t believe I was able to pull this off without any hints, without him hearing about it at work, and without my usually-bad poker face not giving it all away.

I loved how he would look at me, shake his head, and ask yet another question (how did you get ‘T’ here?? or how did you get all the beer and wine? And when did you buy all the food? And when did you have time, with the barre n9ne opening this morning? And how long have you been planning this? And, how did I not know?!). I was, admittedly, patting myself on the back all night (hehe) and just thrilled with how well it turned out. (and so so thankful to have had Jess and Steph help me with everything, or I never would have gotten it done!).

So, without further ado, here it is…a surprise party…in pictures (found a cool app to make these into collages!)

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This picture collage created with Smilebox

(you’ll notice the pictures of me, super duper nervous, waiting for his arrival. I was sweating it out, but it went perfectly!!)

Click to play this Smilebox collage
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Photo collage made with Smilebox

(These are so fun group shots I took of everyone. I just loved looking around and seeing so many friends from different walks of his life, all together. And for nobody to have tipped him off to it? Even better!)

Throwing this party two days after I returned from Chicago and the same day as the barre n9ne opening was quite a challenge, and I think by the end of the night, I was running on fumes, but I wouldn’t have changed it for the world. An utterly perfect day. (and more tomorrow on the barre n9ne opening!!). Cheers, friends!


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Proud.

Tonight, I sit here proud.

Overwhelming proud.

Of M. For PASSING his dissertation defense.

(not that I had any shadow of a doubt that he wouldn’t).

Sitting 900 miles away, I wanted to be with him so badly, to help calm his nerves, hug him, put my hand on the back of his neck and tell him how much faith I have that he would rock his defense tonight. …but I couldn’t. So I did what I could by text, phone call, and Facebook status by way of: sending love, luck and ‘knock ‘em dead’ vibes to a certain someone defending their presentation today. Incredibly proud <3. For those of you that know M, he isn’t a huge Facebook’er, but I think my support there, plus everyone else who weighed in (thank you!!), it helped motivate. Even just a little bit more.

As I sat in agony in the last sessions of the day at the conference I am at, I prayed. I channeled every bit of strength, courage and support that I could. And just hoped they somehow helped.

And I sat at dinner…by myself (!), with a glass of wine, sushi and the best bowl of citrus garden vegetable soup EVER, I experienced another kind of pride. Of myself. For finally conquering the dining out alone thang from my travel bucket list. I waited. And waited. For the call.

And when M called and I heard the elation in his voice, I knew. I don’t think I have ever heard him quite this happy. He passed. He’s DONE (save for a few last tweaks to his paper). And this Saturday when he walks through that door to a room full of family, friends and coworkers, I’ll sit there beaming. For pulling off an epic surprise. For gathering a group of people that genuinely care for M and the accomplishment he’s made.

Proud. To stand by a man that means so much to me, the world, truly…a man that has just reached a milestone he tried so hard to reach (and at the same time, tried to quit and run away from, because it was scary, out of his ‘zone, and just plain HARD…but he didn’t. He DID it.). A man that deserves every bit of joy and happiness over finally capturing a goal he’s had for years. 

Proud.

<3

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