Stipulations..

So I went running last week.. Outside. (I live in the land of cold winters, by the way.) But, I found a group of people who are year round runners and decided to take up with them on a run.

It was a nice, enjoyable run. Cold, but not windy. No ice. Not too much snow on the ground. About as nice as it can be this time of year.

If you're not a runner, let me preface this by saying that runners are generally friendly folks. All cheery and whatnot. So after the run everyone was congratulatory towards me, high fives, and post-run introductions.. Then the pressing question, "Will we see you again?".

So I had to politely inform them I have some stipulations for winter running:

• I don't do wind.
• I don't do ice.
• I don't do snow.
• I don't do slush.

Their response: "We probably won't be seeing you that much, eh?". Yea, probably not unless we have a really mild winter.

With these temps, I'll be gymmin' it this week.

Work Wear..

I work in rather conservative setting, so looking chic and age appropriate can take some effort.. Don't want to overdo it and look like an old woman, nor do I want to look like I picked up my work attire from Wetseal (no offense to them, but not my ideal place to shop for professional attire).

Higher education is often a combination of liberal faculty and conservative administrators. In that, you have to toe the line to keep your youthful appearance in line with the administrative atmosphere if that's the side you work on.. And that's the side I work on.

So here's my fave outfit of the week:

Simple, yet sassy. I love it!

I Do It for the Medals...

Yep. I said it. No shame here.

I run races - national races - because I want the medal at the end. 13.1 miles.. To get a fashionable hunk of metal strung on a piece of heavy-duty ribbon. Even 26.2 one time.. Nevermind that I hang them in my closet never to see the light of day again.
Well... That's not entirely true. I do have one floating around my car.
But I digress. I run races because of the perks... The medal. The shirt. The "swag bag" - and I hate that they call it that by the way. But I have no issue confessing to my affection for the race gifts.. I mean, I'm a self-admitted uncompetitive runner. I'm not out there trying to beat anyone. I have to do it for something though.

Talk with any runner and they will give you a reason why they run. From the most serious, professional runner to the casual, every-now-and-again runner. There's a reason. I fall under the latter. I'm not an every day runner. I'm not even an every week runner. I'm more like a run-when-I-get-the-urge runner.. Which can be pretty sporadic. Or when I start feeling guilty. I mean, I talk about running all the time. As a matter of fact, I work part-time at a running specialty store. I can't not run. It's almost like it's part of my job. But that doesn't matter sometimes. So when the guilt builds up, I hit the pavement.

Sometimes it's just like whatever gets you out there.. You use it to keep going.

Time to Get Moving!!!

New year! New goals!

That's what everyone says, right? Right!

Ok. So I'm falling in line with all of those people..

This will be the year that I push aside my fears and actively pursue my goals. One of the largest of which is my desire to move!! With that, it shall be an interesting, yet exciting year!!! Constantly keeping myself motivated is helping me maintain my focus; purging, packing, and the infamous white board with all things important written on it... right next to the door. (Need to see that everyday!!)

All that said, while I was initially extremely enthusiastic about the idea, I also momentarily found myself discouraged after a month or so.. (this is something I began in the latter part of last year) Moving into a new area is difficult and stressful on a variety of levels. I had to pull it together and realign my thoughts to what I want my end result to be. I had to make my idea into a full-fledged plan.

But, honestly. I find additional encouragement through social media. Mainly Instagram. That'd be my faaaaaaaaaave social media outlet. Little glimpses into life via photography. I love it!! Anyway, I've found that when I post pics of my progress and occasionally my thoughts, people are always supportive and encouraging. That additional motivation is like fuel to my fire. And I appreciate it immensely.