Starting Over...Reinvention

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.

~ Maria Robinson



Lately, I've been doing a lot of thinking about starting over. Planning for an upcoming wedding, and trying to work out my future, has my mind locked in on long-term goals. Where do I want to be working 5 years from now? Where do I want to be living? If we want to travel, we are going to need flexible schedules and money and time, or at least a job where I can go from place to place. All of these thoughts have just been circling and circling in my head (especially late at night, when I'm trying to fall asleep!). My late night revelations have me considering a few things: Starting over my blog, starting over my career, starting over with school, and starting over with working out.

I miss blogging. I really do. I often find myself composing posts in my head while driving around for work, it's just that by the time I am able to sit down at my computer and type, I've either forgotten what I was going to say or fall asleep. I miss keeping up on what everyone else is doing! I miss the support- both giving and receiving. My friend advised me to start scheduling blogging time into my life- to make it an actual appointment in my phone so I stay on top of it. I'm going to try this and see how it goes. (I've been doing the same thing with my workouts and it's been working, soI'm fairly confident I can do this!) Sometimes, as I'm sure we all can attest to, it is difficult to keep on top of social life happenings when work is so demanding.
Speaking of work, I love my job. It's hectic and chaotic and time-consuming, but oh, so worth it! When I'm out running programs with the girls and they are laughing and smiling and telling me how much fun they're having; or when I see them randomnly out and about and they run upto give me a hug, it just makes me feel like I'm on top of the world! The only down side to my job is that it is non-profit and we don't always have it in the budget to get raises. This is such a year (and I know a lot of people are in similar place, especially in today's economy). I love my job,but the pay is not a livable wage. For the most part, I end up living paycheck to paycheck every month, with only a few dollars I can tuck away into savings. It's hard to think about leaving my job, but knowing that I have a wedding to plan ($$$$$), which means that we have to find our own place to live (and pay rent and utlities, etc), makes me realize that I have to do something to bring in more money.

My only concern is that, while I do have a Bachelor's degree, it is in music and theatre, and without a teaching certificate that degree won't get me very far. I started researching areas of work that I am interested in learning more about and could see myself doing as a career. The one that interested me the most - Communications and Social Media Management. So, I've been researching a few online graduate programs to apply to and hopefully, will get accepted to one where I can start in the fall. It's going to be interesting trying to balance course work and a full time job and wedding planning, but if I'm determined enough, I know I can do it.

All of this retrospection has been euphoric. I'm very excited to go back to school and possibly expand my marketability and steer my life in a more solid and confirmed direction. To keep with my theme of bettering myself, I contacted my friend, Coach Kurt from Becomming an Ironman, and hired him to be my personal trainer. We had a 3 hour meeting where we discussed what I wanted to do (tone and strengthen and continue with fat burning), as well as completed some assessments to see where I am physically with upper body strength (FAIL) and cardio (WIN). Kurt came up with a very do-able workout routine for me to follow for the next 6 weeks. In the mornings, I do my Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred DVD, and in the afternoons I do strength training at the gym (chest press, shoulder press, bicep curl, tricep extension, and row machine). We are starting off slow so I can build up muscle and not hurt myself. Plus, I gave him a time-frame of about a year and a half where I would like to get to the point where I solely have to maintain from there on out. It's been going very well- I haven't missed a workout yet! I'm pretty proud of myself. For example, yesterday I was incredibly tired after work but knew I had to do my strength training. I made myself go to the gym and felt SO much better for it. It's only been a week and a half, but I'm well on my way to making this a routine- afterall, don't they say it takes 21 days to make something a habit?



ING... B-I-N-G-O!

It's Official- I am registered for my 2nd Half Marathon in October.

HOORAY!!

I just sent in my payment and have 66 days to finish my training before I tackle the ING Hartford Half again. I'm actually very excited! I had a blast running the course last year and am very much looking forward to doing so again. I only hope the day will be as gorgeous out as last year.

Today is another long day at work. However, I intend on going to bed as soon as I get home so I can get up and put in some miles tomorrow. My back up plan is to run after work (in case I hit snooze sleep through my alarm clock again). I'm currently about 2 weeks behind on my training, which is okay because I had originally added in 3 extra weeks, just in case. However, I've decided I'm going to increase my short runs to be 3 miles, instead of 2 for twice a week, on top of my long runs. The only thing I'm worried about, with this upcoming race, is that I won't be ready. And, I know, I need to push those thoughts right out of my head otherwise I'm going to self-sabotage.

To keep myself sane, I'm carrying Kara Goucher's book around with me. That way, when I feel the negative thoughts creeping in, I can crack the book open and get some motivation! (It works, I swear!)

On another note, I'm not sure how many of you read my last blog post, but I am doing a "Mystery Loot Give Away". My boyfriend and I are raising money for the Muscular Distrophy Association, and I'm turning to all you lovely people to help us out. For every $10 you donate, you will get an entry into the give away!

Now, you may be asking yourself, "But, Cupcake, why would I donate if I don't know what I might win?"
And to that I would kindly answer, "Because you're such a wonderful, amazing person that it doesn't matter what you might win. You just know that your donation is going on to help millions of people who suffer because of MD." Then, knowing you would probably want a little bit more information, I would continue, "I can't tell you exactly what your prize is- just know it's going to be pretty awesome! There's some pampering stuff, something worth money, and maybe even something for your feet!"

So, once again, I get down on my knees and humbly ask all of you lovely blog followers to please reach down into your pocket/purse/wallet/manbag/backpack/fannypack/Spibelt/piggy bank and please DONATE to a GREAT cause!

I promise, it will be worth your while! 



I'm Going to Jail and Mystery Loot Give Away

Yes, you read that title correctly- I'm going to jail.

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I'm so angry! I look horrid in orange!

Really, it's all my boyfriend's fault. If he hadn't flipped on me, he would've been the only one in prison, and I could've helped bail him out. But, no, he broke. And now we are both going to jail. It's a shame too, because all that awesome loot is hidden away, and only I know where to find it.

In all seriousness. we will only be in jail for about an hour on August 23rd. My boyfriend got chosen by the MDA (Muscular Distrophy Association) to participate in their annual Lock-Up fundraiser. He has to raise as much money as possible for his "bail". Best part, he gets to have a partner in crime (yours truly), and we will be locked up in front of Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant in New Haven (best prison food EVER!). He's managed to raise $100 so far, but I know we can do more! So, I figured I would share the information with all of you wonderful bloggers out there and see if anyone would be charitable enough to help us out. In case you weren't aware, all funds raised by the MDA Lock-Up assist the Association in providing lifesaving research, a nationwide network of medical clinics, and accessible summer camp experiences to individuals and families affected by neuromuscular diseases. It really is a wonderful cause, so I hope all of my readers will consider giving at least $10 to help out.

To sweeten the deal a little bit,

decided I will share my hidden loot with you.

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Therefore, for every $10 donated, you will get an entry into the

 "Mystery Loot Give Away".

I can't tell you what you will win just yet because I don't want the 5-0 sniffing around more than they already will be. However, suffice it to say, it's pretty awesome. I promise. I mean, if it wasn't, why would anyone care if I had taken it, right? ;)

Anywho, here's the link to DONATE.

Make sure that once you have donated, you come back and comment on my blog how much you gave. This way, I know how many entries to give each person. Also, if you share this blog post on your own blog/facebook/twitter/social media, leave me a comment with a link and I will give you an extra entry. I am going to send out a super huge thanks in advance to everyone who helps us out. I know people are strapped for money nowadays, myself included, but every little bit helps and it truly does wonders for those who suffer, or a family members of someone suffering from, muscular distrophy.

Happy 2012!

Happy New Year everyone!

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I hope y'all had a fun, exciting and safe New Years!

Now, in keeping with the time honored tradition of making resolutions for the upcoming year, I have some goals that I would like to accomplish this year. (And, yes, I am going to share them with you! Aren't you lucky?!)

1. I am, sadly, not going to be able to do the Disney Princess Half Marathon. I'm incredibly upset over this but finance and logistics wise, it wasn't working out. Add onto that the fact that I've been sick for a month now and have fallen so far behind on my training, it would be virtually impossible for me to get on track- it just seems better for my sanity (and stress level) to forego that race this year and save up money for next year.
I am not completely down and out though! Never! Instead of racing that weekend, I will be participating in the Jim Calhoun Cardioraiser! I have joined Kurt's "A-Team" group (which I helped him name), and in keeping with the show, have aptly dubbed myself "HMM" (points if you know which character that is!). It's going to be a great day- the fundraiser is for Autism and I have set a goal of $100 for myself. I feel that is completely easy to reach and hope to go above and beyond. For this $100, I will be doing Zumba! That's right the cardioraiser entails doing your choice of spinning, zumba, or a cardio machine of your choice. I love dancing, so I figured Zumba might be a fun choice. I signed up for only one hour so far but hope to raise enough money to add onto that (I'd really like to be able to do at least 3 hours if not more). So, I need everyone's help! Please go to my donation page HERE and help me start the year off by helping those who need it!

2. According to my DailyMile, last year I ran a total of 251.64 miles. Not too shabby for my first full year of running!! This year, I plan on increasing that total number and hitting 350 miles! Can she do it?! Yes, she can! But, how? Well, that leads me to my next goal....

3. Last year I participated in 4 5k races and 1 half marathon. For 2012, my goal is to do 8 5k races and at least 2 half marathons (with the possibility of some 10k's in there as well, if time and finances allow). Doubling my race schedule means more training miles and overall run miles. I should be able to tack on that additional 100 miles easy!!

4. I plan on saving up money!! Even though I intend on running more races, my goal is to be smart about which races I do and how they affect my finances. I also have to factor in new running shoes, clothes, etc. My new job means better pay so I have to work hard and not blow all of my money on race stuff. I need to save up for Disney and NJ marathons next year (yea, I'm already planning for 2013 too haha).

5. Get healthy. Stay healthy. I'm sooooooo over being sick. It's the first real cold I've had in a long time and it's just lingering in my lungs. It needs to be done. I'm hoping that with more runs and more strength and cross training I can boost my immune system so I won't have to suffer through this sort of thing again. Or, if I do, my immune system will be strong enough to kick it out of me ASAP. I also want to focus on eating healthier again. I'm actually considering going gluten free because lately, whenever I eat pasta or bread, it makes me incredibly bloated and makes me feel sick to my stomach. (Too much info?) Part of this will also include increasing my water and electrolyte intake (especially since I'm going to be running more).

6. Having more "ME" time in my life. One thing I noticed over the past two months was that the busier I got, the more I stopped having my "ME" time nights. I found that I was more stressed because I wasn't allowing myself time to decompress and relax before bed (probably a large reason as to why I got sick). My goal for 2012 is to dedicate one night a week to being by myself- no boyfriend, no work, no running around... just a nice, quiet time to myself. Whether it's a night run, some kettle bell circuits in my room, a self-done mani, etc. It doesn't matter, as long as it's for me.

So, those are my 6 big goals for the year. I think they are incredibly do-able. 

What do you think? What are some of your new year resolutions?