January Reads

We all know how miserable Pittsburgh was this January. Snow and freezing temperatures left me curled up most of the month with a book, my escape to another world that was not in the midst of a polar vortex. There are so many books I want to read - my list is endless spending the majority of my week in a library looking at books and then frequenting Barnes and Noble as often as possible. So here is my plan for reading more and so far it as worked.

Listen to an audio book to and from work. - Check

Spend less time on Pinterest and more time reading before bed. - Check

Read my Nook when I'm waiting to pick Dennis up from work. - Check

Read a children's or teen book during my lunch break (then I'm more prepared for booktalks and recommendations). - Check

So if any one is looking for a book recommendation, here are some titles to try...

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Wild is the fabulous account of Cheryl Strayed's solo journey along the Pacific Coast Trail. Read my full review here.

Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

I probably would have liked this children's fiction/graphic novel better if I was 10. Ha ha! It was cute but I wouldn't recommend it to an adult. More for a reluctant reader... I only read it because it's Children's Choice pick this year. The story follows Flora on a exciting adventure after finding a squirrel who turns out to be a super hero - he can lift vacuums, attack cats, fly and write poetry. Makes you want to run to the Library and check it out doesn't it? Ha ha!

Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg

Since this book was published I wanted to read it and finally had the chance to listen to it in the car. This book was even better than I had expected. As a woman in a leadership role, I found so much of Sandberg's advice to be beneficial to my own career. She details the ups and downs of being a woman, wife and mother in the workforce and how women can succeed at all three. She is an inspiration and I hope that I can follow her lead and lean in more in my own career.

Doll Bones by Holly Black

So fabulous! If you want to read a children's fiction book, choose this one! It's another Children's Choice pick and you can bet I will definitely be booktalking this one at the school. It's a ghost story, adventure story and friendship story all rolled into one. Alice, Poppy and Zach are always in the midst of a game with their action figures. One day the "Queen" suddenly comes to life and the three must return her to her rightful place. They set out on their last quest together but this one is anything but make believe. They set out to solve the mystery - camping alongside the Ohio River, breaking into the East Liverpool Carnegie Library and stealing a sailboat. I couldn't stop listening! Try it! It's sweet.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

I read this in eighth grade and read it again for next month's book club. I didn't remember anything about the book. I loved it! I couldn't put it down. A classic, quick mystery that will have you turning the pages to find out the fate of the 10 little Indians. I wish I could remember what my reaction to this book as a 13-year-old was because I bet it was much different than what I thought as an adult.

Right now I'm reading Fan Girl on my lunch breaks. It's a teen novel about a girl who writes fan fiction and has just started college. In the car I'm listening to Eleanor and Park, which is written by the same author as Fan Girl. It is another teen novel about two high school stuents experiencing first love. I'm also reading Let the Great World Spin since the author will be in Pittsburgh in March and The Birth Order Book, which is surprisingly entertaining and informative.

Happy Reading!

Venting My Runner Woes

Ok, we are two weeks into training. It hasn't been that bad. I haven't been able to get every workout in but I make sure if anything to get the runs in. The weather has been so crazy that I've been fortunate to get some runs in both inside and outside. Here's where my dilmenna arises...as much as I hate it, running on the treadmill has gone very well and I've decreased my time each run. However, the minute I get outside to run I feel like I'm going to die after the first few blocks. I'm going to trump it up to the fact that my lungs can't handle the cold air, which could quite possibly be true. This morning's run started bad and I ended up just doing intervals for two miles. The change in workouts actually helped and I think I ran faster, so essentially I did some speed work. Now if I just could get some yoga and weight training in, I'll be in good shape. Ready to up the mileage this weekend I guess...

(Pinterest)

Here We Go Again

Training for my third half-marathon started on Sunday! The first training run wasn't actually as bad as I had expected. To me it was progress, taking into consideration that I had a sprained knee in November and a sinus infection most of December, which brought any thought of a run to a standstill. So, my official first run of training season was actually only my second run since the injury.

This year I decided to start earlier in January and give myself more time to train and get stronger for May. I have a plan to run at least three times a week combined with stretching, yoga and maybe biking later on when the weather changes. My goal is to hopefully maintain a more consistent pace throughout the race and decrease my time if possible.

Last Sunday was just an easy two miles. I'm not going to lie…I did have to walk and I was slow but I think that had more to do with the terrain than being tired or completely out-of-shape. It wasn't like I was just running down a clean sidewalk or street with the current weather conditions. Please! The city does such a wonderful job clearing the side streets. Ha!

(Pinterest)

I ran the quiet snow covered sidewalks and baseball fields of Morningside and the slushy streets of Highland Park. It was a beautiful, crisp morning interrupted by the occasional church bell from St. Raphael's. The snow only made the run more exciting and hopefully made me a stronger runner. The cold didn’t even bother me because the sun was shining and the air refreshing.

This year, I'm determined to combat my boredom while running by trying different routes and never doing the same one twice. The reservoir at Highland Park got old fast last year. With no music, I have to keep my mind focused on something. If I’m running in Highland Park and Morningside, I do double duty and look for sale houses. OK, I’m dreaming in Highland Park.

I was supposed to run another two miles tonight. I’m so cold that I couldn’t bear to leave the comfort of my portable space heater to go run on the treadmill at the gym. Tomorrow I have no excuses; I will be running at the gym no matter what. Florida and a sunny beach to train on are looking wonderful right about now. I just keep telling myself only a few more weeks of cold and training will get better.

So here’s to another year of being a Runner of Steel!

Book Review: Wild

Wild by Cheryl Strayed is the author's journey to find herself by hiking the Pacific Coast Trail. After her mother's death and her recent divorce, Cheryl hikes from southern California to the Oregon/Washington border. Along the way she challenges herself both mentally and physically, encountering wild animals, losing her shoes, going without water, getting lost and meeting unforgettable people who make her journey even more special.

As I read this book, I wished I could hike the PCT. I doubt I will ever have the time or stamina to do what Cheryl did but I was in complete awe of her bravery and drive. The breast cancer walk is probably the closest thing I have done to her journey. Walking 40 miles through DC also challenged me physically and mentally, presented unbelievable views, introduced me to amazing people and made me a stronger person through the challenges of training and walking (and blisters).

This book has the potential to be dry. It's a memoir about a woman's solo journey on a famous trail yet it is so entertaining, motivating and inspiring. An adventure novel, travel piece, self help guide and memoir all rolled into one and written so well that you really can imagine yourself ripping your toenails off, drinking muddy lake water or losing the trail. Interested in reading Wild, check out my GoodReads review and stop by the Library to get a copy today and start the adventure!

Look out 2014, I'm a comin'!

As I stated last January, I'm focusing on goals for the New Year rather than the tried and true New Year's resolutions. Here's my progress on last year's goals:

Plan a wedding and get married. - CHECK
Run a half-marathon again and improve my time. - HALF CHECK (I ran the half marathon but I did not improve my time. I have much better training plan this year and although it is not one of my goals, I know I will do it and you will have to read more blog posts about it.)
Be a better person and practice more random acts of kindness. - CHECK (This was a great goal and although it is not a goal this year, I'm going to try to be selfless in other ways - running the marathon for a cause and applying for new volunteer projects other than church, library or Lakeside.)
Organize the apartment and make it our own. - CHECK
Make little changes in my lifestyle so that I'm healthier. - CHECK

Goals for 2014:

Spend more time with friends and family.

My busy schedule with work, training and meetings often gets in the way of spending quality time with friends and family. This year I want to host more dinners and parties at the apartment (and maybe future house) for friends and family.

(Pinterest)

Save money and BUY A HOUSE.

Thank you student loans for sucking my finances dry. All kidding aside, this is a major goal for both Dennis and I this year. We are finding ways to cut costs and practice better financial responsibility to ultimately place a downpayment on a home.

(Pinterest)

Finish building my dollhouses.

In the office, which is more of a storage unit, I have two dollhouses (one was a Christmas gift a few years ago and the other I got this year from a friend who found it in their new house) that need completed. This is going to be my winter project. The one below is the one I made with my grandpa in high school.

Be healthy.

Simple. I'm going to drink more water. I'm going to work out at least five to six times a week (not hard at all during training). I'm going to take my vitamins. I'm going to eliminate some sugars and junk food. I'm going to eat more nutrients and try new healthy foods. I'm going to kick my sinus problems and eczema in the butt.

RELAX.

2014 is the year I attempt and succeed at relaxing. Hopefully it will stop the endless nightly grinding and eczema outbreaks all over my hands if I eliminate stress and stop worrying about every little thing under the sun. The next goal will hopefully help me relax this year.

DO MORE.

In a nutshell...I'm going to read, write, photograph and cook more and whatever else I feel helps me to relax and enjoy life. My hobbies have taken the back burner for too long. I'm welcoming them back in 2014.

Well, goodbye 2013. You were fabulous and I'm sad to see you go! I said "I do" to a wonderful man, ran my second half marathon, turned a milestone age, saw FUN in concert and truly enjoyed life.

Here's to an even more fabulous 2014!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!