True Hire

Finally, I am able to call myself a true employee of The Propel Agency. After 2+ months of contract work, it's official! If you've read my previous posts, from when I was offered a terrible sales job to when I quit while in Paris, to when I randomly applied for my current position, you know how lucky I have been in the turns my life is taking.

Other than having the best start to the week a girl could ask for, I also have only 10 days till my marathon. T-E-N!! What a scary number! After training since June, I believe I am ready. I think the whole training for this type of race is more mental than anything. I somehow cranked out 8 9-minute miles yesterday, of course way too fast for the pace I've been training for (appx. 11), but it felt great to give my legs a stretch. Obviously, I'm antsy to get back to my 7 minute mile 5ks. I miss the speed and the total exhaustion you feel. Maybe I'll hit sub-7 in the next year or so (hopefully).

I'm also really looking forward to the feeling of finishing this type of race. I remember my first triathlon, my first half marathon, and my PR 5k, but a marathon is a completely different beast. I know my body will have been trying to quit since mile 18, that my feet will be terribly sore (think of standing for over 4 hours, then add constant pounding), and the runner's high will have come and gone. But, I want to do it so I can say that I have. Then the question is what the next big feat will be. I just hope my body doesn't crumble during the last stretch. I was that girl in high school that pushed too hard at once and ended up having a car pull around to scrape my aching body off the track after a 400. Not something I ever want to go through again.

But besides racing and working, I'm really looking forward to this weekend, especially with Halloween coming up! The last time I celebrated Halloween was enough to hold me over till now, and I plan to go to the max, meaning a killer costume. But, still no idea what to do! I'm headed to Charleston to visit Baggett, finally! 3 months is a long time to not see your best friend! In celebration of everything scary, I also decided to whip up some treats. Say hello to Candy Corn Bark. Melted white and dark chocolate, pretzels, Oreos, raisins, and candy corn make up this treat, and it will definitely be placed at work tomorrow in order to spare myself from eating all of it! I can never say no to candy corn...

Plugging On

What a weird weekend this has been. It was a weekend of laughter, tears, Emergency Room visits, concerts, beer, and lots of football. I think every possible component of a bad and good weekend were combined into 2 days.

It has left me realizing that I am extremely lucky, but also in a weird position with my life. I want and need goals, but how do you set them for your life? It is a tremendous task, and maybe I should take little steps at a time, but can you really plan the twists and turns your life will take? Every day is literally life-changing.

I checked myself into the ER this weekend after noticing some chest pain. After blood tests, EKG's, X-rays, and passing out when I had blood drawn, I luckily was told that nothing was wrong with my heart and there were no possible clots. Actually, just the opposite. My heart looked phenomenal, and my HR resting was consistently under 50 bpm. I definitely am giving credit to my running. Only 13 more days until I complete my first marathon!

I guess that is one of my life goals, but it has nothing to do with where I am most of the time - work. What do I want, what do I want to learn, and where do I want to be? These are all questions I think everyone should ask themselves, just to help them decide if they are headed on the right path. However, they are probably some of the most difficult questions to answer. Again, life ain't easy.

My Sunday turned into me practically glued to the couch, baking some cupcakes, watching football/baseball, and really taking the time to recover from a mentally and physically draining Saturday. Taking time for yourself is completely necessary.

This transition to being a real, working woman has really taken it's toll. I know I am in a great position, but deciding how I want to live my life post-college and who I want to be with me through it are tough, almost impossible decisions to make. I guess I will just have to see where it goes and enjoy the ride!

"What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from." -T.S. Eliot

Abandoned? Not yet

Blog, I am so so sorry. It has been a full month since I have paid any attention to you. I can't believe I have gone this long without writing!

Granted, it has been a crazy past month. Non-stop, new friends, old friends, moving, running, and of course no internet. I'll be blogging again soon, no worries. Of course, the content needs to be somewhat interesting. I am sure you all don't want to hear about my day at work/life constantly. So, keep posted. I haven't completely abandoned this yet (even though I have been thinking about starting a Wordpress...)

Cheers!