Life is Great!

It has been two weeks since I last blogged and so much has happened!

I just celebrated my quarter of a century birthday, and my birthday weekend was spent moving into our house!!! BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!!! My family and friends helped me move, and man, if we never have to move again (which we probably wont!) I would be so happy! Moving is a pain in the butt. But it feels so great to have our own house…it’s feels like home :)

Just before the move, Sean surprised me for my birthday and took me to Vegas! I LOVE Vegas and usually go a couple times a year but hadn’t been in just about a year. I really wanted to go, so my fiancé, being the amazing man he is, took me to Vegas!! We stayed at the Hard Rock (super cool hotel) and lounged by the pool all day. It hit 113 degrees and luckily we had a cabana so we could escape into the shade if we needed…plus, our cabana had misters! Woohoo!

I’ve been working out a lot at the gym focusing on strength (arms, legs, back, shoulders, core), and my running is still sadly on the back burner. I’ll warm up on the treadmill, but I haven’t gotten a good “long run” in lately. Honestly, the days I’m not with my trainer, I’m either working (40-60 hours a week) or going to class. Any free time is spent driving to and from class, unpacking, or sleeping. If only there were more hours in a day… :) But I couldn’t be happier!


On another note, I can’t believe this weekend is the 4th of July holiday weekend!!! Do you have any exciting plans for the weekend?

Love,
Mags

Three Things Thursday!

1. I’ve become a gym rat. I haven’t been runnning nearly as much as I used to, but I am going to the gym a lot and training with my trainer twice a week. I’ve definitely noticed an increase in my strength and more definition (especially in my arms which is a goal of mine), and I love it!



2. There are several books on my June/July reading list. One of the books I just downloaded onto my iPad is Tina Fey’s new “Bossypants.” I absolutely love Tina Fey, and everyone I’ve talked to about her book has raved about it. I also downloaded “Bitter is the New Black” by Jen Lancaster, which is my book club’s June book (I should probably start reading that!). And I’ve been re-reading the series “Song of Ice and Fire.” I read this series years ago, and even though each book is 1,000+ pages, I finished each one in no more than three days (given it was summer vacation and I had a lot more free time). They’re totally capitvating. The first one is “Storm of Swords” which I’m reading now. These three books are my June/July summer reading books.


3. Wedding update!! The bridal boutique I bought my wedding gown at called me and my dress is here!!! It took 6 months just like they said! I’m going on Saturday with my mom to try it on with my shoes and jewelry! I can’t wait!!!!!!!!!!!! I still have plenty of time, so I won’t do alterations for another couple of months. But just to try it on, my wedding gown, not the store’s try-on gowns, but my gown. I. AM. SO. EXCITED.  :-D


Happy Thursday!!!
<3 Mags

I'm a Sucker for Race Challenges!

I am a complete sucker for race Challenges and their medals!
Challenges like the California Dreamin’ Racing Series which I completed in 2010 (now the Beach Cities Series) and Disney’s Coast to Coast Challenge which I will complete after I run the Disneyland half marathon on September 4th this year!


Today I received an email from the San Francisco Marathon introducing their new challenge – the “You can HALF it all!” challenge! Here is the description:

Run the 1st Half Marathon and 2nd Half Marathon in 2 consecutive years, and pick up a special Half it All Challenge Medal at the finish line!

Now you can Run the Golden Gate AND Cruise through the Haight, covering all 26.2 Miles!

It's pretty darn tempting!  Right now registration is $105, which isn't too bad, relatively speaking.  But then add the cost of the flight, and we're starting to get a little pricey.  I want to do it, but with our new house (mortgage!) and wedding, I don't know if I should.

What do you think about racing series and challenges?  Love them or hate them?

National Running Day 2011!

Happy National Running Day!!!


If you want to celebrate, lace up your shoes and head on out for a run!  Or for some more ideas, check THIS out.

I run because:

1. It makes me happy!  I love it!
2. I love to eat.  I enjoy good food (and wine) and running allows me to continue enjoying this.
3. It's good for my health.  Running is good for your heart, lungs, muscles, etc.  Running is good for you.
4. It's a great time to think.  It clears my head and I get some of my best ideas while out on a run.  Sometimes I will put together my "to-do" lists for the day/week :)  And other times I will just let my mind wander and enjoy the scenery.
5. It gives me tons of energy.  After a morning run, I have constant energy throughout the day until I go to bed.
6. I'm very goal-oriented, and it's fun to have a goal for running.  It can be a goal time, a goal distance, a goal race, or a goal place to run...anything really.  It's exciting to set a goal and achieve it.
7. Two words:  Runner's High.  There's nothing like it.
8. It makes me feel good about myself.  I love the way I feel and the way
9. The commraderie!  Running with my friends is always a blast!  And I've met so many inspiring runners and athletes through blogging and tweeting.  It's incredible and I am so grateful for that.
10. I run because I can.  There are so many people who can't.  To be able to is a gift, and I don't want to take that for granted.  I am thankful for my health and my ability to run.

Why do YOU run?

Fashionista Grandma + Hills + Trainer!

Every morning driving to work, I see this little old woman out walking in my neighborhood. She has to be in her 70s at least with snow white hair. I find her completely adorable because not only is she speed walking, but she’s a speed walking fashionista! This morning she was in a beautiful leopard print coat with white pants. Over the holiday weekend I saw her wearing a stunning pink blouse with a gold blazer. One morning I even saw her walking in a fur coat! And to top it off she always wears these flashy gold earrings (I’m not a fan of yellow gold, but these are beautiful). This lady has style, and furthermore rocks it when exercising! It amazes me.
I can guarantee I won’t be wearing leopard coats or gold blazers when working out, but I hope that at her age I can be as active and fun as this lady is!
This morning I had a butt-busting workout with my trainer. I ran hills yesterday (how wonderful was it to have a 3-day weekend?!), so my legs and bum were quite sore today and of course my trainer had me doing a ton of squats and lunges. I also did a lot of arm work today – bench presses, biceps, sit-ups with shoulder presses – and it felt great!


What activities did you do over your 3 day weekend? Or this morning to get back into it after the BBQs and beers over the weekend?
Happy Monday!

Happy Grad-Aversary!!!

Three years ago today I graduated from Manhattan College, a small private school in New York. Where has the time gone?! Living in NYC for 4 years was the experience of a lifetime, and I am so grateful to my parents for giving me that opportunity. I had the BEST time living in New York. I grew as an individual, an academic, a friend, and became a confident young woman ready to take on the world.

I was fortunate enough to live with 7 incredible girls all four years of college…yes SEVEN, 8 including myself! These girls became my sisters and helped shape me in to who I am today. We always had so much fun together whether it was making mojitos on our townhouse steps in the spring or staying up until 3am cramming for finals (or being out and about in the city till 3am!) No matter what it was we always had fun!

To my 3219 girls, I love you all so much! I can't wait to see you this fall when I'm out there, and of course in the winter for Sean's and my wedding!!!

<3 Mags

MBA --> MIA!

I know I have been MIA lately and for that I apologize. Life has become so busy especially because the spring semester of my MBA program is coming to a close, which means I have been chin deep in papers and projects, and of course, studying for finals! This is the last week of classes and next week are finals. I can’t wait until May 19th when my last final is done!! After which I will have 12 days of free evenings before my summer classes commence. (I’ve elected to take classes year round so that I may complete my program in 2 years, since I work full time and take evening classes.) It definitely is a lot to juggle-work, classes, study group meetings, review sessions on weekends, planning a wedding which has been the best!, trying to stay involved with the Board I sit on, and of course trying to fit in “me” time to run and workout).  But I am having fun and all those long days/nights will totally pay off!


Unfortunately running has been put on the back burner.


Lots of this....



Leads to this :(

I’m running once a week (compared to a year ago when I was running 4-5 times a week), but I am working out with a personal trainer twice a week so it kind of makes up for it. I definitely see an increase in my strength and endurance, and I notice that when I do run, I can run further more easily. Hooray for strength training! I will incorporate more running into my routine, but it is challenging when I wake up before 5am, work all day, go from work straight to class and don’t get home until 11pm (sometimes later).  I'll get the hang of it :)

How do you find a balance between all the aspects in your life?