Five Things Friday.

1. I was lulled to sleep several mornings this week by birds chirping outside my window. Does this mean spring is just around the corner?? Winter, I'm ready to say goodbye and see you next year!

2. The bottom of the barrel is fast approaching on my whey so I'm waffling on what flavor to get now. I tried Peanut Butter Marshmallow this past time and want to try a new flavor. toooo many decisions. Do you vote for Cookies and Cream or Chocolate Mint? 

3. I cannot remember how long I've been reading her blog, but if there is one blog I check every single day, it's the vibrant piece of the web written by the amazing Janae at Hungry Runner Girl. This week she wrote a fantastic post with a list of ways that she is not just enduring, but flourishing despite being in the midst of really difficult time in her life. Sometimes we over think the healing/grieving/being mad at the world process and I love her perspective. Check it out! 

4. You only have one life to live. Don't waste it doing something you're not crazy about. Love it or leave it. 

5. The only thing worse than realizing you're wildly overdue for a haircut is realizing it on the day AFTER your hair stylist leaves on vacation for 2 weeks. If I'm wearing hats every time you see me for the next two weeks- now you know. 

Casein or Whey Protein? 

What is one thing you do everyday that you LOVE to do?

Chocolate-Chip-Cookies.

how many times do we look at the same things in life- over and over and over and over - again,

and never really SEE them. 

hey humble piece of chocolatey goodness.

I like to bake you.

I love to eat you.

now I'm gonna talk about you. 

you're just a cookie.

but you're so much more. 

when your Grandma makes it, it's not just a cookie; it's a labor of love, a token that connects you to her.

when it's a cookie on the plate of someone who struggles with and eating disorder, who ate it without guilt or anxiety, perhaps for the first time- it's a non-scale victory, a smack in the face of the terror an ED can create in our lives. 

when you've goofed and make a batch for an estranged friend, it becomes a peace offering to begin your attempt to bridge the gap.

when the cookie is made from a recipe that was the first recipe created and published by a budding chef.....it's a piece of triumph, a trophy- something to celebrate and remember. 

when they're hot and fresh from the oven and filling your house with the most delicious aroma, it's a reminder that the 'aroma' of my life and actions reach further than I imagine.....good or bad.

if you've spaced and made the entire batch with cake flour, it becomes a hockey puck that is suitable for an Olympic gold medal match. 

if you've settled for the store-bought pre-packaged type, it's a reminder that the best things in life can't be bought.

when it's crumbly and a bit dry- just absolutely perfect topping for your ice cream, it's a reminder that imperfections are to be embraced, not fought.

open your eyes.

 what will you see differently today?

Five Things Friday.

1. Today I had a 25 minute conversation with a car salesman............about the superbowl and the best teams in the NFL. Football talk makes me happy, and he stopped pressuring me to buy the car. Touchdown. 

2. If you follow me on INSTAGRAM, you see a revolting number of selfies quite a few photos of my protein pancakes. What goes un-pictured are the 4 baby pancakes I make at the very beginning. I'd like to pretend that this is to prime the pan, but no........it's because I cannot wait until ALL the pancakes are cooked, topped and photographed to start eating them. Girl has zero patience when food is in the picture. So my baby pancakes hold me over. And now you know, the REST of the story.

3. I had originally planned to run a 1/2 marathon in Arizona last weekend. There were a couple different  factors involved that resulted in post-poning the trip and consequently not racing. While I was disappointed, I'm already planning on some races later this spring, and consider myself to have simply gotten a great head start training for them.

4.  I got serious about facing my fears this week when I said yes to two situations that make my comfort zone a mere memory. I have yet to see the results of my second yes, but the positive results from the first yes have thrilled me and made me braver.

5. love, love, love my pink hat to keep my ears toasty while I run. not so much love for my hat hair.

What do you do to overcome your fears in life?

What was the most exciting thing you ate today?

What's your Wonderful (Wednesday)?

happy Wednesday. 

this life is wonderful. celebrate it. savor it. share it. 

wonderful is; 

~snuggles with my nieces who don't care if I am a sweaty post-gym mess. 

~finding a forgotten quest bar in my glove box.......AND my favorite flavor! 

~a letter from a precious friend.

~texts from my sister.....with typos. 

~a good hair day. 

~coworkers who go out of their way to make your shift better.

~breakfast, on a real plate.

~hugs from my brothers.

~food for thought. 

~coffee - "on the house" from my favorite barista. 

~God's Word

"Thy mercy, oh Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reaches unto the clouds." Psalms 36:5

~smiling, for absolutely no reason at all. 

what's your wonderful today?

Once upon a time..............

...........YOU were added to this world. 

not just another random beating heart.

a delicate, precious, valuable soul. 

a soul created to tell a story.

a story only you can tell. 

a story only you may understand. 

a story that can change the world. 

because YOU are here to tell the world YOUR story. 

fresh. original. unique to you.

the world will try to reign you in. 

life will knock you down. 

it will not be easy. 

OWN YOUR STORY. 

Five Things Friday.

1. It's that time of year again..............taxes, setting financial goals and rehashing my budget. I'm slightly OCD about my finances and save every receipt. At the end of the year I go through each receipt, itemize and tally each area of my spending. This may be redundant since all the money I spend comes out of a meticulous budget to begin with.  I had an overwhelming number of receipts from last year.......not a small task. 

2. I'm down to my last 3 quest bars, which means I'm on ration until I can place another order. I'm having a terrible time deciding what flavor to get this time..........I may have to break down and get two boxes. I'd really like to try the new flavor (cookies and cream) but I'm scared to buy an entire box in the event that I'm not crazy about them. Right now I'm battling between PB&J and White Chocolate Raspberry. Help a girl out and tell me which to get!! 

3. I was the creeper at the gym the other day taking photos of other people..........but it was so adorable I couldn't help it. I was warming up on the stairmaster and got a bird's eye view of this sweet wife lending a hand to her husband after his suspenders came loose. Couples who workout together, stay together. And they are wearing purple. winning. 

4. My sister spoiled me and got me some starbucks coffee for Christmas. Each cup is turning me into the ultimate coffee snob. Thanks, Rebecca for ruining my ability to settle for folgers. 

5. OLYMPICS. Need I say more?? When I was a child, I had ambitions of being a figure skater. These ambitions grew from nights getting to stay up and watch Olympic figure skating sprawled out on my stomach on the old brown carpet on our living room floor. I have a best friend and a cousin who were both ice skaters and incredible at it, bno. My first opportunity to actually get skates on the ice came when I was 12, and I immediately changed my mind. I'll just make it my ambition to skate without every breaking a bone.

Do you keep or throw your receipts?

Which sport would you compete in if you were an Olympic athlete?? 

Five Things Friday.

1. Pompeii. on repeat. while running. while driving. while showering. while working. while lifting. while thinking. song of the week by far. 

2. I've been having a miserable time sleeping through the night lately because my stomach wakes me up at 0130 fully expecting a 5 or 6 course meal. Growls can be heard across the county, I am sure. So far the only night I slept without waking to eat was the night I got cozy with some peanut butter directly before going to bed. Eating more peanut butter in order to sleep better............geeesh the sacrifices I must make in life. 

3. Confession; I seldom allow others to do nice things for me because I'm too proud and prefer to be ridiculously independent. This is not the best quality to have, and I have to remind myself to be humble (or actually, just NORMAL) and accept help from other people. This week the cold sucked the life out of my car battery and I was 'forced' into taking help from a friend to bring it back to life. My coworker who came to my rescue was tickled beyond tickled to help. "girl, helping others makes my day 100x better". I am surrounded by the best and most thoughtful people on the planet, how often do I stunt my personal growth and their joy by running my own show? I myself love to give to others and truly there is just as much beauty in receiving.

4. Being an aunt never gets old. Nothing better than my weekly cuddle fest with these darlings. gah. 

5. If you haven't already read it, there is an exceptional article on Huff post about questions we ask that kill our relationships. A quick, thought-provoking read that is 100% spot on. Poignant, insightful and totally worth your time. GO READ IT! 

What's your song of the week??

When was the last time someone did something thoughtful for you?

things I'll never be good at............

................because I'm quirky and I know it. 

we're all born with quirks. own that ish!  

sometimes in our quest for self improvement we mistake our quirks for flaws. that's a no-no my peeps. 

there's no such thing as perfection. our quirks are part of our story. they are part of who we are. 

quirks are the little spice in our life, the dollop of whip cream in our coffee. 

celebrate yourself- quirks are what add the spice to our life.

celebrate your quirks, they are a part of you and a part of your story.

~watching movies. I love the previews, they are the perfect wind down for my nap which begins 7 minutes into the actual film. I have tried and tried and failed and failed and movies just equate to naps for me.

~running on a treadmill. I ran a marathon and it took less time than it does to run for 5 minutes on a treadmill. I want to be good at this. I don't want to feel like every minute on a treadmill a little piece of me is dying, and unfortunately it's not the fat part of me dying it's the brain cell part of me dying and I already don't have enough of those to go around. 

~saying no thank-you to an apple fritter.  I don't know where this fritter love came from, but apparently it's here and here to stay, mostly just on my hips. life is better with a fritter........put that on a t-shirt.  

~swimming. because triathlon or no triathlon; me + water = drowning. 

~drinking coffee while walking. you know those photos of celebrities snapped strolling with a coffee in hand?? this can never be me. someday when I'm a celebrity there will be photos of me walking, and there will be photos of me drinking coffee; but never at the same time. sister just can't do that ish. 

~being serious. if I'm awake and conscious- I want to be laughing. I will pull a straight face if the situation absolutely requires it, but something inside me will find something chuckle-worthy and then it's all over. 

~bowling. I was once asked by a bowling alley owner if I knew that the object of the game was to knock the pins down. and he wasn't joking. 

 ~riding an escalator. no matter how careful you are, the stupid thing WILL suck your shoelaces into the little cracks and then you will be viciously swallowed up by that metal monster. even if you don't have shoelaces on, it will find a way to suck you in. 

~parallel parking. don't even get me started on the amount of stress sweat that happens at the thought, the mere thought of parallel parking. park for me and I'll cook you dinner for a month and then some. 

~painting my toenails. miserable fail. two years old paint nails better than I can. if I want pretty nails I have two choices; visit my sister or pay for a pedi. *turning in my girl-card now*.

~measuring peanut butter. the tablespoon is overrated. pass me a pint.

~being productive on a rainy day. when the rain is pelting on my windows and the wind is sighing through the rafters the only logical thing to do is to curl up with some coffee and do anything but what's on my to-do list. hence this post. 

stay quirky, stay you. 

xoxo, Curly Pink Runner

Five Things Friday!!

1. Happiness is having people in your life who love you no matter what.........good days and bad days. People who won't let you stay grumpy because they squash you on the couch and take selfies with you until all your blues are chased away. 

2. I do believe there is a significant holiday today that is not getting enough attention. National Peanut Butter Day, I love you more than my birthday. I think peanut butter 3 meals a day is not uncalled for in your celebration. hello under-recognized-highly-important-holiday; I feel your pain and I will celebrate you with extra care and attention. 

3. I got legitimately lost on thought catalog for an unmentionable number of hours this week. hashtag- read all the thoughts, pertinent or not pertinent. Yes, I need to read 21 things to do the photos of your old boyfriends (not pertinent), 12 things to do instead of eat peanut butter (pertinent), 8 ways to come up with the perfect name for your first child (not pertinent), 10 ways to stress less (pertinent) and 14 things you can do to make your hail grow faster (definitely not pertinent). 

4. This happened twice in the last 6 days. #1. too much driving, not enough gas money. #2. too much stress for this girl 

5.  I saved the best for last today---- THE LOST HAVE BEEN FOUND!!!! I had given up every finding my favorite pair of running shoes but they finally resurfaced!! Thankfully my parents don't keep their Christmas tree up year round or my shoes would STILL be hiding behind it. (do not ask me how they got to my parent's house, or behind their tree. there are some questions I just don't have answers to.)

Have a smashingly good Friday, peeps! 

How often do you buy fuel?

Where is the weirdest place you have ever found something you lost? 

Winter Running-- What NOT to do!

If you haven't been been perusing instagram or facebook, you may have missed that it's been an abundantly cold and SNOWY winter thus far. Thank goodness for social media. Who needs windows in their house anymore? I can lie in bed and find out what kind of weather to expect for the day simply by logging into facebook!

I have mixed feelings when it comes to winter running. I'm personally a fan of cold-weather running and I log some of my best miles when the temperature is below 32 degrees. At the same time, I don't like  the shorter window of daylight to run in, or having to mess with snowy or icy roads.
I'm not an expert and I am certainly NOT the authority on running. I'm not the blog to read if you want the top of the line tips for running- winter or no winter.
But trial and error has taught me a lot of what NOT to do. 

1. Don't run in the cold if you have a cold.

Be smart and if you're feeling any small symptom of a cold -- don't run outside. It's not worth sacrificing your health in order to get your run in. Running should make you healthier not LESS healthy. If your throat has just a tinge of a scratch when you leave on your run- chances are you will return from your run unable to swallow. 

2. Don't Negotiate.

"If I leave work and a red car drives by westbound on Pioneer street while my phone rings and I find 25 cents on the ground outside of my car: I will go for a run." No, just no. It's a mental struggle to get out and get those legs moving. But don't give in and negotiate with yourself. Commit to your miles and do it. 

3. Don't underdress.

This will be different for each runner. Don't skimp. Better to peel off a layer mid-run than to be miserable the entire time! And sunglasses more important than ever! The sun and snow are a blinding combination. 

4. Don't wear your best shoes. 

I do enough running that I use more than one pair of shoes. I rotate through each pair, so some have more miles left in them than others. The roads and streets are GROSS this time of year so I like to use my shoes that have the fewest miles left in them, so that my newer shoes stay nicer longer. This may be entirely vain, but I am picky about the condition of my shoes so I like knowing that I'm not getting my best pair of shoes nasty while out frolicking through the slush. 

5. Don't compare your mileage/temperatures to other runners.
Some people run in -30 degree weather. Others run through 1.5 foot snow. And then there are runners who run with a 75 pound pack on their back on a sheet of ice while being chased by a herd of buffalo while wearing only their running shoes and eating skittles. To each their own. The point is- log your miles, run YOUR run and don't measure yourself by any other standard than your own.


6. Don't be such a loner.
I love to run alone, but during the winter I try to get a friend to run with me. I'm much less likely to skip it if I have someone counting on me and motivating me to get out and get it done. An added bonus is that these runs can turn into snowball fights!! 

7. Don't forget to put up a photo on instagram.
Running in the cold is tough- CELEBRATE YOUR ACHIEVEMENT!! It's a challenge mentally and physically and celebrate your dedication.

What are your cold-weather-running NO-NO's??

Five things Friday!!

1. Smart phone users-- is there any other phone that comes close in comparison to the I-phone?? I've had the I-phone 4s for almost 3 years and I LOOOOOVE it, but it was an upgrade from a flip phone so I have no other experience with a smart phone to compare it to. I'm preparing to switch plans and my current phone isn't compatible with the new plan.............decision time!  

2. I don't cry over spilled milk, but 6 egg whites wasted in cookies that totally flop...........tears-a-plenty!! I've only made this recipe a dozen times, and could probably make it in my sleep.........but something went majorly amiss. 

3. In December I lost my favorite pair of running shoes-- my beloved GTS adrenaline 12's. I've been searching every place imaginable but I  have finally given them up as gone for good. Probably not normal, but I shed a few tears. Not only were they my favorites, but I had at least another 200 miles left in them. 

4. If you haven't--- give this beautiful song a listen. I promise it'll become a new favorite. gah........so much awesomeness. 

5. I have always been fascinated by how differently men and women tend to think/feel/act and this had me chuckling! Same day- two very different opinions! 

Do you think a smart phone plan is worth the extra $$?

When was the last time you lost something you valued?

Goals for 2014!

If that isn't the most unoriginal title you have ever read I don't know what is. I am slipping in my old age.  

I do not make New Year's Resolutions (hashtag- most unoriginal subtitle ever)........but I do like to chart out some specific goals every month/year. I make physical, spiritual, emotional & financial goals and this is where I declare the physical ones. Perhaps at some point I'll touch on the other more personal goals, but for this post I'm going to focus on the physical goals.

I am picky about setting physical goals. Having previously been quite overweight and still learning how to maintain my 50+ pound weight loss, it's important to me that I don't adopt a 'finish line' mentality. Instead cultivate a lifestyle of consistency, setting goals that build on strength and endurance rather that size/weight. The last thing I want to do is bust my chops to get to a certain size/weight/look only to be unable to maintain it because it's not a feasible lifestyle and revert back to the way I was before.

~ run a sub-25 minute 5k.

In July I was a the peak of my running game this year and ran a 25:37 which was a 3 minute PR. I'm looking forward to setting a new PR this year......let's go baby. 

~complete an unassisted pull-up. 

this may be the thing on the list that I want the most. I had this as a goal last year, but never worked for it specifically. time to put some effort in. I can kind of kip......but have yet to actually string any kipped pullups together.

~enjoy 2014 sugar-free. 

note- I did not say 'give up' or 'go without'. I have a sugar addiction, every person has a different way of conquering addiction and for me right now, this is a step I need to take. Some of the healthiest seasons of my life involved giving up sugar completely and so I'm going to tackle this for 2014.
(what this means, essentially is no sugar for the sake of sugar--ketchup has sugar, it stays. chocolate cake has sugar- it goes. see the difference??)

~attend a yoga class.
I run, I lift and and I take my hat off to all the yogis. I know that yoga is amazing for your body and I feel like it would really compliment the other forms of exercise that I do regularly. Because of where I live, I don't have the option of taking yoga classes in person, but this certainly

~RX weight for Bring Sally Up (Squat)
I first saw this quickie WOD in August and was immediately intrigued. The RX weight for females that I see most commonly is 95lbs. I've been attempted this twice a month with 50 lbs and have yet to make it for the entire song. I promise I'm not a  wimp-- this is tougher than it looks!! As I increase my strength both phyiscally AND mentally, I look forward to RXing the weight for this! (if you're not familiar with this WOD, there are plenty of demos on youtube)

~walk 10 feet in a handstand. 

I am a huge fan of handstands.......and really horrible at them. I am working on them everyday and although I have yet to see improvement-- just getting inverted everyday is a step in the right direction!

~take a 7 day break from all running/lifting/training. 
because we need rest. and I'm not good at resting, but my body needs it. when you go hard, you've got to protect your down time.

~snatch my bodyweight.
er.......that's um.....it's Crossfit people. This is one of my favorite olympic lifts but I have yet to see significant improvement on it. Admittedly I don't focus on it specifically all that often so I can't expect to see noticeable changes. This goal adds extra incentive to shedding the 12 or 15 extra pounds that found me this fall.....lighter body, lighter snatch. uh........moving on.

"what you get by achieving your goals is not nearly important as who you become while accomplishing them."

numberful.

hello made-up-word-blog-post-title!! 

numberful;

 -- epic mashup of 'wonderful' and 'number'
--post full of numbers

Elizabeth WEBSTER at your service.

0 miles run this year. while a seven day break from running mid training for my upcoming 1/2 was completely unintentional, I'm not stressing about it. I have a good base to build from and this 1/2 won't be run for time or anything other than pure enjoyment. that said, I'm sorry to every person I growled at this week because I haven't had my therapy (running).  

2 fingernails wrecked while changing the light in my bathroom. screw you lightbulb.

5 (nearly) perfect hair days in a row.........this never happens and I'm beginning to fear that when this streak ends all my hair is just going to fall out. 

7 hours spent running (quite literally, at some points. don't challenge me to a race across a snow-packed parking lot and then expect me to forfeit simply for the lame excuse of my footwear.) around in these bad boys.

9 cups of coffee consumed during one 10 hour nigh shift on no sleep. 

12 trips to the bathroom after consuming aforementioned coffee. 

15 years that I've been friends with this beautiful bride!! loved being a part of her celebration this past weekend as she became a Mrs! 

18 pairs of shoes that I've bookmarked on amazon because I need them. I should note that these are only the running/lifting/exercise related shoes. I stopped counting the other shoes I bookmarked because I can't count that high. 

25- negative degrees is too cold to be a functioning adult. if you need me you can find me at home getting down with dozen blankets.  

30- the number of pounds I added to my deadlift since the last time I maxed in May. 

47 tabs open in my web browser right now. yes, I multi-task. 

52 times I told myself  slow down while driving to work. my cruise doesn't work super great when it's cold and left to my own devices; my foot does dirty things with the gas pedal. 

 

69 photos later and my sister tells me "you suck at getting your picture taken". hence the wildly awkward pose and tiny tigers what am I doing with my hands?!? 

72 pages I've written in my journal since 1/1/2014. #shouldabeenawriter

88 seconds spent inverted tonight before work. every second counts. 

Pick a number, any number--- tell me something about your weekend! 

Five things Friday!

1. Aunt life = best life.

you better believe that I have my own hashtag for celebrating the awesomesauce known as aunt-hood. do you not want to just hug those little cuties??! gah. I am forever grateful for the unending joy my nieces and nephews bring to my life. Sidenote- kids that suck their thumbs are cuter, I am convinced. 

(and despite their glum faces- they were watching a movie, not participating in a mass time-out!)

2. Handstand practice in public- not advised.

 *nearly breaks neck* Yeah, I totally meant to do that. That limp noodle/panda bear twerking/2 year old dancing with a marshmallow move I just did was 100% intentional. 

3. Peanut Clusters.

also known as heaven on earth. Seriously- what makes this combination so addictive and heavenly?? Every year I think I'm going to outgrow my affection for these bad little boys but nope- the love story continues strong as ever. 

4. To kiss, or not to kiss??

So.........would YOU kiss a stranger on New Year's Eve?? Hmmm.......I have two schools of thought on this, but primarily I find the thought of exchanging saliva with a complete stranger about as tantalizing as putting my mouth on a rabid squirrel. No judgement if we differ in opinion.

5. Is there a statue of limitations on Christmas lights?? 

I know the season has passed but I just want to keep my Christmas lights forever. I love, love, LOVE sitting in a dark room illuminated only by twinkly Christmas lights. My bestest friend in the entire universe bought and hung these lights for me, making them twice as special.......I just cannot bear to take them down. 

Did you suck your thumb as a child? 

Who else is still enjoying their Christmas decorations?

Hey Stranger.......Gym with Me.

Dear Stranger,

Happy New Year. 2014 has a nice ring to it, 'eh?? 

I do not know what your name is. I don't know how much you weigh. I don't know if you're a retired Olympic athlete, or if you've never owned a pair of running shoes. I don't care if you're wearing lulu lemon, or if you borrowed your boyfriend's t-shirt. You may spend countless hours on the treadmill, do pilates, lift small Buicks or do yoga- whatever floats your fitness boat.

I know that your hands are shaking and your heart is pounding in your ears before you even touch the treadmill. Your skin is stinging because it feels as if every single eye is on you. 

This is you first day in the gym. 

Maybe you're in great shape, but just want to get extra exercise in.

Maybe you're 100 pounds overweight.

Maybe you've had an injury that's prevented exercise.

Maybe you've lost and gained and lost and gained and are stuck on that crazy cycle.

Maybe this is the 10th time you've had your 'first time' in the gym.

It's not easy to get to the gym. There's a gym membership to purchase, childcare to arrange, trying to remember to pack your tennis shoes before work. Work schedules, school schedules, social schedules-- they all conflict with the hours the gym is open. 

I'm writing you this letter because on top of all these cards that are stacked against your best efforts and intentions, there's an even greater discouragement. 

They're called 'gym rats'. They float through the gym with keen precision, they know every machine, they have every supplement, they have the body you wish you had.

They may float- but they are not angels. In between their sets they talk behind their gloves to each other "all these fake gym rats won't make it until Valentine's Day." 

('gymrats'................before you get your knickers in a knot and throw a barbell at me-- you're not all rude and spiteful people. I consider myself to be a gymrat of sorts. 9 out of 10 of you are awesome and amazing. Unfortunately the good get shuffled in with the bad when we use labels. If you're reading this and you're offended- you're probably the 1 I'm talking about.)

That message?? NOT OKAY. 

Do you know who REALLY needs a separate gym?? If you can't see past the end of your bulging bicep to recall the day when you yourself were there for the first time.........YOU need your own gym. (I'm not team-anti-big-biceps; I happen to have a set of my own, so I'm not hating on you. But get your ugly little thoughts out while you're curling, NOT while you're observing the swarms of new faces in your gym.)  

Because the thing is-- going to the gym is about being the best you you can possible be. We workout to improve our health, escape stress, for fun and to increase our self-discipline. It's hard work and working towards our goals take sacrifice. Here's the kicker-- if you're sacrificing your ability to be kind and loving to others......problemo. 

Gym time is our 'me-time', but if your version of 'me-time' equals zero f's given to anyone else in the world, that's a part of 'me' I hope to never get in touch with. 

So stranger, I've worn your shoes. I know they pinch and rub and blisters form, but you'll work up callouses and they'll cease to be painful.
And candidly-- I re-wear those awkward 'first time' gym shoes on the reg. After a week of skipped workouts and 2 or 3 dozen doughnuts, they are the only footwear available.
They aren't so much the shoes of being new in an unfamiliar place.............they are the shoes of saying 'I want to change, and I want to be better' and admitting that there is room for change is acknowledging that we currently feel in a state of some level of inadequacy or failure.

Also-- here's the good news. There are some AMAZING people at the gym. For every gym rat that makes you feel uncomfortable, there are a dozen there individuals who will cheer you on.  People are going to say rude things, they are going to give nasty glances and make you feel worse than you already feel about yourself. I wish I could change that- but I can't. All I can do is say HEY--- ignore the haters.
Seriously-- please don't let their lack of character ruin your day.

If we're in the gym together- I hope you feel welcome.

I hope you come up to me and ask for advice-- preferably in between sets -- not because I know everything but because we can learn from each other.

I hope you notice that I smiled at you when you looked my way. 

I hope you notice that I have cellulite, my arms jiggle and I have more than one chin, because I'm not here to be perfect, I'm here to be better today than I was yesterday.

I hope you know that you're amazing and bad-ass and if you show up in the gym once this year or 365 times-- you won't regret it. 

I hope that we can be friends and that someday this year we can grab coffee or see a movie together because there is so much more to life than the gym. 

May your squats be deep and your miles be speedy in 2014!!

xoxo The Curly Pink Runner

Christmas Confessions...........

~I love Christmas. I can articulate just about anything, but my love for this season?? can't even begin to express it.

 ~channel surfing the radio during my commute to work left me annoyed because there was nothing but Christmas tunes playing on every station. Appropriate, I guess, but I'm all christmas-musiced-out and I want my jams back.


~I worked Christmas and I volunteered to do it. Not for the Holiday pay, not for the double portion of the goodie trays left at the office (although they help sweeten the shift, pun intended!) or the brownie points from the boss for taking the shift. I did because my coworker has toddlers and I wanted her to make pancakes and open presents in her pajamas with their sweet little faces.


~ the breakfast that our family has enjoyed every Christmas morning since I was born tastes every bit as good microwaved for supper. because it's not the cheesy-oniony-hammy-eggy goodness that makes Christmas special, it's being sandwiched between my brothers and sisters.

~ I've heard that appliances are a no-no for girls at Christmas, but let me go on the record right now and say this; dear future-male-in-my-life; I will not be upset if you give me a blender, pan set, kuerig or an apron for Christmas.


~ it's a white Christmas in Kansas this year. pretty much ridiculous how happy this makes me.

~the 'worst' Christmas I can remember involved waiting until after 8pm to open our Christmas presents. In the life of an 8 year old, it felt oh-so-traumatic. As an adult looking back over years of happy, healthy Christmases............I am truly blessed.

~chocolate and Christams go hand-in-hand. I will arm wrestle you for the peanut clusters.

~Christmas is the hardest day of the year for scores and scores of people. I don't want to be oblivious to this. How can I stem the pain and agony in the lives around me?? I don't want to be so wrapped up in my celebration that I miss the hurting around me.

What's your Christmas confession?? 

Six things Saturday.

It happened again! Friday got away from me so my five things Friday turned into Six things Saturday. But hey, means I get to talk more so I'm down. :)

1. 'Tis the season to slooooow down! After a super aggressive these past few months, I had some extra down time this week which was amazing. I probably should have gotten more things crossed off my non-work-related to-do list, but when there is coffee to be drunk, twinkle lights to admire and Ellen to watch on youtube, who has time for laundry? 

2. Extra time off works also means extra time to hang out with the littlest brother..........who is growing up way too fast!! We were celebrating his last day of school before Christmas break..........and planning fun things to do while he is school free these next two weeks. 

3. My fb newsfeed has been blown up all week with commentary on the Phil Robertson debacle..........am I the only one who is completely disinterested in joining in the online debate of such subjects?? I'd much rather sit down with a friend and have a mature (i.e. loving!) conversation pertaining to a controversial subject than stir the pot on social media. 

4. Gingerbread addiction meets Christmas ornament love. Can you believe this little maid even smelled like gingerbread?? Gosh, I need one to hang in my house tree or no tree.

5. My coed volleyball team played for the championship this week.............and we won!!! It has been a blast to get to play regularly lately and the season ended without any of my teammates wanting to strangle me.......at least not that I heard. :) I tend to live in blissful denial of my competitive streak but this season has reminded me just how strong it really is. 

6. Last week was  particularly difficult in that it brought the sale of our family farm. My eldest sister, who is an amazing writer and photographer wrote a beautiful tribute to our home place and her photos are unreal. I loved her thoughts -so beautiful and fitting! it wasn't just any place- it was ours. 

Favorite Christmas ornament??

Yay or nay for team sports?