Oh, Give Me A Home Where The Buffalo Roam

“What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of the buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.” –Chief Crowfoot

Bataan Death March

Success and failure, two simple words to sum up my Bataan March experience. Success because I finished. Failure because running 15 miles was out of the question as soon as I walked out the front door.

The day appeared to be rather perfect. No freezing or scorching temperatures. No rain in the forecast. When I stepped outside I felt a slight breeze but didn’t think it was a cause for concern so I continued loading up the car for the 40-minute drive. When I went to open the gate I finally felt it, the gust. The gust that had been blowing all week (all month) hadn’t disappeared. I don’t know what causes windy and gusty conditions, The Weather Channel has explained it to be many times I just forget, but I do know that running on a windy day is awful and today would be no different.

The first 7 miles were a success. I ran with ease keeping an easy pace, running with the wind, but after a left turn at mile 7 I had to stop running. I was exerting twice as much energy running against the wind and I wasn’t a third of the way finished. So I walked, and I walked and I walked some more and eventually I finished.

It was still a good experience and a good cause, but last year was better. Maybe because it was my first one and I had no idea what to expect or maybe because the cold temperature left me no choice but to run, but this year’s race did not meet my expectations. I don’t know if I’ll participate next year. There’s a half marathon held at the end of March at my alma mater I would like to run next year and two big races in the same month wouldn’t be a good plan.

For now I shall not sulk in my disappointment. I shall continue to enjoy my east coast vacation (hence why this blog is a week late) and start back at square one when I get back.

Safety First

I gave my BFF’s daughter a Jessie doll for Christmas, and she’s making sure Jessie stays safe while she’s at school...

2010: Lessons Learned and My Favorite Moment.

2010 has come to an end and looking back on the year as a whole, I really came into my own this year. I started taking more initiative, started realizing what I want out of life. A few years ago if anyone asked me where I saw myself in five years my answer was easy, to be alive. I never planned for the future, and by that I mean I never had a five-year or 10 year plan. I just planned for the next day, what else was there. Now, I still plan for the next day but I see things. There’s things I want and things to do before my ride comes to an end, and for the first time I’m making sure I take the right steps to get there.

With that said, I learned some valuable lessons this year and made plenty of memories to last me forever. Below I listed the 10 most valuable lessons I learned (some are serious, some are funny but all are true) and I discuss my favorite moment of the year.

10. Whiplash is no joke – I used to think people exaggerated when they told stories about this, I was wrong! Whiplash is serious and I will never joke about it again

9. Dogs really are man’s best friend – One of my pups died this year. Nothing unexpected. Nothing to cause a downward spiral into depression. I’ve lost other pets before but it’s different when you own a pet for more than half your life. I know she never understood the things I told her, nor was she ever going to respond but she listened. She’d put her head on my lap and listen. Sometimes that’s all you need.

8. When life throws you a curve ball or lets you pop open a bottle of champagne take a 3-day (or 4-day) weekend – When you need a break from work, get frustrated with life or are celebrating a momentous occasion, weekend getaways are the perfect cure and celebration.

7. The human body is an amazing vessel – I can run 13 miles. It’s amazing how with dedication and the right training your body adjust and does it on its own.

6. Don’t assume everyone in a 21 and over bar is actually 21 – When you meet a guy at a bar and halfway through the conversation he tells you, “I graduated high school when you graduated college,” that’s a deal breaker.

5. Running down the street with a road flare is not the safest thing to try (especially when holding an adult beverage in the other hand) – You might burn your hair and spill beer, things that should never happen.

4. Painting is therapeutic – I took on the task of painting my room, hard work but so relaxing. I hear coloring has the same effect

3. Don’t let your guard down – I opened up to new things this year but there’s a reason I’m guarded. Don’t need to change this about myself just yet.

2. For every action there is a reaction – Actions have consequences-some good, some bad. Sometimes people get hurt, sometimes you hurt yourself and sometimes it’s out of your control. Big decisions shouldn’t be taken lightly.

1.“Leave all your love and your longing behind” – Don’t carry extra weight on your shoulders it drives you down and you won’t survive.

As for the best moment of the year: there were plenty to choose from-Vegas trip, Colorado trips, going to Houston to watch the Elite Eight, S.O.M-summer of Moses, 4^th of July, and the Tim McGraw/Lady Antebellum concert-but the trip I made to Boston in May was the best.

This trip couldn’t have come at a better time. I was feeling the pressure of a new job and dealing with the consequences of hurting a good friend. It was the turning point of my year. I was with people I love. I got to go to Fenway Park, again! I ran from Boston Harbor, through downtown, to Harvard and back. Amazing!

Josh Ritter - The Curse

Another restless night. No idea what time I eventually feel asleep, past 1 a.m. for sure, but I do remember the last thing I heard on my iPod. Thank you Josh Ritter for helping me find sleep, not the first time you’ve come to my aid.

Three reasons why I love this song (other than the fact it helps me sleep):

1) I secretly want to be a puppeteer.

2) The story the lyrics tell is so heartbreaking yet beautiful-the video adds more effect if you ask me.

3) The trumpet solo.

I posted this video a while back on Stalkerbook, sorry if this is a rerun for some of you.

Interesting article on how the idea for the video come about and who created it.

Tell Me Your Dreams

So I couldn't sleep last night, I really need to stick to a sleep schedule. Some random thoughts were running through my head, wrote them down and this is what came out...

What are your dreams? Have they all come true?

Have they changed? Have you had to make compromises along the way?

Have they brought you hope in times of despair?

Have they been shattered by the harsh reality of life, or have you persevered and continue to believe they can change the world?

Have you sold your soul to make them a reality, or have you taken the long road and kept yourself intact?

Tell me, have your dreams led you to the springs of the sea and the vast expanses of the earth?

Life Update

So it’s been quite a while since my last blog. My apologies. The last few months have simply flashed before my eyes. I guess it’s true, time flies when you’re having fun.

September, as it turned out, proved to be quite busy. With the Denver Half Marathon a month away, running and working out became my only priority. Wake up, go to work, hit the gym/tackle an afternoon run, eat dinner, shower, and go to bed was basically the routine I followed for most of the month. I was very concerned with my fitness going to Denver. Mentally and physically I knew I could run 13.1 miles, I’ve done it twice, but I was very nervous about the change in altitude I would encounter. I had been forewarned about it so images of me running and passing out midway through the course kept creeping into my head. There I’d be at mile 6 or 7 running through downtown Denver and BAM I’d just stop because I couldn’t breathe anymore. I knew I would have to run at a slower pace, so I practiced running slow. I know sounds funny, but with all the adrenaline that rushes through your body on race day I had to practice. My training runs tended to last longer than usual, time wise, but I logged all the necessary miles and my body didn’t complain.

September wasn’t all about prepping for my big show down with the Mile High City. A solo trip to Vegas was in store for Labor Day weekend and I would be headed to Houston at the end of the month for a wedding celebration. Vegas was amazing. The majority of my extended family lives there, so the sole purpose of this trip was to spend quality time with my aunts and cousins. Mission accomplished. First thing I did in Vegas: attended poker night at my cousin’s house and took everyone’s money. As Lady Gaga would say, “a little gamblin’ is fun when you’re with me.” I also went hiking at Mt. Charleston, ran a 5K, took in a UNLV Rebels football game, and eventually found my way to the Strip and saw LOVE, the Cirque du Soleil show featuring music by the Beatles. The Strip never disappoints. My journey home was memorable to say the least. Vegas never disappoints. My family is too much fun and my godmother was a fabulous host.

Houston was a simple weekend getaway. I traded in the running gear for some formal wear and attended the wedding of my very good friends Claire and Riley. Nothing like catching up with old friends, making new ones and dancing the night away. Non-stop laughter and awesome dance moves all night long. Congrats again you two.

October was all about Denver and surprisingly Halloween. I spent five unbelievable days in Colorado. My uncle lives in Highlands Ranch, a 30-minute drive from downtown Denver, and officially my new favorite place on Earth. I hit some balls at the golf range, journeyed through a corn maze, ate delicious food, drank excellent sangria, played with the coolest schnauzers in town, Buster and Ziggy, went to a Broncos game and got some much-needed R&R. And of course I ran my third half marathon with one of my favorite persons-Kara, love you lots! All my fears and anxiety about running in higher altitude were put to rest after a few trial runs. As it turns out, running at a slower pace isn’t so bad. I enjoyed the experience a lot more. There were no pre-race jitters; been there done that. There was no set goal; I’m content with my personal best for now. I ran free. I took in the sights and noticed the people cheering through the streets. I was pretty tired by mile 10 but hey sea level is for sissies.

After Denver, the laziness began and the Halloween spirit hit. I took some time off to rest and planned for the most epic candy day ever. Ok, it wasn’t that epic, but I met Spiderman, hung out with Alice in Wonderland and paid homage to the best video game ever. Pretty epic if you ask me.