Fearless...

It's been a while since I've written a post. Just a small update to catch you up on my life...
1. I'm a senior now.
2. Just blew out 21 candles a few weeks ago.
3. My thesis is swallowing me.
4. And corn is lifting my spirits up.

That was just a quick snapshot of things that are happening. I absolutely can not believe that I am a senior now. It is so unreal. And I'm still trying to figure out where the last three years went. Honestly, it's all a blur to me. I've been through so much as a college student and as a person. I've learned so much; and I still feel like I have so much more learning to do. A lot of times people just don't know how much is really hiding behind that smile of mine. I don't know where I would be without Jesus, my family, my boyfriend, and my friends. Ok, ok, enough of that before I have a meltdown...

On to the fun stuff... the first semester of my senior year is already halfway done! I've celebrated my twenty-first birthday, passed a psychology exit exam, danced with my daddy at Senior Parent Night, and practiced many Cornhuskin dances with one of my best friends. I'm also in the midst of trying to decide whether I will spend my next year in graduate studies or begin the journey of an ESL teacher. Both choices are absolutely wonderful and I honestly do not know what I will do. I mean....should I pick the master's degree or teach sweet little ESL students and then go after my master's? Ahhh! Now I see why seniors hate the question, "So, what are your plans after graduation?". PLEASE don't ask me...because I just might throw up on you. Whatever I decide to do, I 'm going to take it under my wings and fly fearlessly with it!

In the middle of taking care of my academic life, I've also been trying to take advantage of every moment possible to hang out with my friends and have fun. I mean...did I mention that it was my LAST year as an undergrad?! :) I've shared tons of laughs and memories with some fabulous folks. I really just want this year to slow down just a bit. I'm having way too much fun and I don't want it to ever end. Where is the rewind button when you need it?

[This is one of my favorite pictures from the summer of my junior year. Cabo Blanco, Costa Rica]

The toughest road.

Wow! It's been quite a while since I have updated you all on my progress with my journey to the Raleigh Rocks Half-Marathon. As you can see, I am still a standing human being :) No but really, this has been THE TOUGHEST CHALLENGE of my life. Tougher than any national cheerleading competition, any soccer match, or any vocal competition that I have ever competed in. And I've competed in a few tough ones. But, after 11 long weeks of training and sweating my eyes out, I am proud to say that I have dropped 16 pounds, one pant size, and three inches from my waist! I am sooooo excited to go shopping for my new body image.

This challenge has been the most grueling physical challenge that I have ever put my body through. I've had a few broken bones, shin splits, and injuries in my days as an athlete. And these complications just made things a bit tougher for me. I had about 6 days that I could not train at all because my legs and ankles were aching like no other. I felt like they were going to literally fall off. I would return from 4 and 5 mile runs with a little limp in my walk because I was in so much pain. But I was and still am determined to finish what I started.



Above all, I believe that the toughest challenge has been the mental one. I used to think of myself as a focused individual. Boy, did I know what I was in for?! 70% of training for any physical activity comes from your mentality. It takes immense focus to run an inclined trail for an entire hour. No matter how great your Itunes playlist is, a strong mentality will take you to higher heights. And this is one of the first things that I learned along the way. I also had a few set-backs in my personal life that "got me down" for a couple of days. As always, I turned the negative energy into passion to keep me going strong for the race. I mean come on people, running with bronchitis and a sinus infection is very challenging. Even now I am still struggling with some sickness, but I have learned that the best medicine for it is positive energy. Another critical issue that I deal with on a daily basis is time management. It is the most difficult thing in the world to take an hour out of my day to run knowing that I have a paper that is due the following day. I try my best to not make myself feel guilty for taking time out of my day to give my health some personal attention. But I have successfully learned how to manage my time and I am possibly looking at the best undergraduate academic semester I have ever seen!



Now, to the exciting part. The half-marathon race is 10 days away. I have so many butterflies in my stomach that I do not know what to do. I have worked so hard and I cannot wait to show the race what I'm made of. Some of my friends and family members will be along the trails to cheer me on. I am so delighted to be blessed with such amazing people that God has placed in my life to come along for the ride! I also wanted to update everyone with some information about the race. The Raleigh Rocks Half-Marathon race is being held on Saturday, March 27, 2010 at 8am. This race trails runs from downtown to Hillsborough Street, past the famous North Carolina State University and Meredith College (my home!), through the North Carolina Museum of Art, and back down to the starting point in downtown Raleigh! I'm excited to show everything that I am made of and I cannot wait to cross the finish line on Saturday morning!

"A lot of people run a race to see who's the fastest. I run to see who has the most guts."

- Steve Prefontaine

Move along.

Wow! I cannot believe that this is the first posting of twenty-ten! Goes to show you how busy I've been. So in case I haven't told my readers...Happy new year. My life has been insane. So here is the quick and updated version of it: Christmas was great...I got everything I wanted and more (new running shoes, Wii, Wii Fit, iHome, just to name a few. Seeing my family was the best part though. New Year's Eve...bananas. I went to the Raleigh First Night with my best friend from high school, Ashley and my way cool dad. Then Ashley and I had a blast at a techno dance party (definitely one of the best get-togethers in a while). After New Year's, I started the official training for my half-marathon. Guess how much weight I lost the first week....(drumrollll) 4 lbs! I was impressed. Another cute thing that happened was that my boyfriend came back to the U.S. earlier than scheduled and surprised me (He lives in Trinidad and Tobago). I still can't quite figure out how he put that one past me! School started and my social life I gained over the break died. I'm now taking an online class through UNC so life is a little tougher. Not to mention, I have also started my senior thesis and started babysitting for a new and cute family! Ok, ok, enough about what's been going on.

My training for my half marathon has been progressing. Although, my body aches every single day and it is extremely hard to balance my life...I know it will be all worth it in the end. It has not been all peaches and roses...and there have been about 2 days where my body has been so exhausted that I almost broke down to tears. But, I'm determined. Determined to finish what I started. Determined to be healthy and to continue being healthy for the rest of my life. No one ever said that training for this was going to be easy, and I am a witness.

Along with training, I have also been keeping my calorie-intake low and make smart & healthy eating choices. I haven't always been a junk-food eater, but ever since college happened my junk-food intake had increased. I made a vow to myself that I will no longer harm my body. My friends, it's time to get real about your weight and health. Not for your own sake, but also for your future children's sake (in the majority of the college kid's case). Making healthy decisions is very important to your health. First of all, it's not attractive and if you don't want a stroke or clogged arteries by the age of 45...LEAVE THE JUNK FOOD ALONE. Did you know that obesity in young adults is at an alarming 20% right now? FOLKS, this is about 1 in every 5 people. This has become a problem and it needs to be solved. And trust me, if you want to be helped then you can be.

Taking control of your weight does not mean to stop eating your favorite foods and start eating celery sticks. It's a little something called substitution and cutting-back. Instead of reaching for those bag of Doritos, choose 100-calorie snack packs. Ok, I know what you are wondering now? How in the world do you get full off of those things? EAT SLOWLY. It takes about 20 minutes for your body to recognize that you are full. So eating like you are in a hot-dog eating contest can have you overeating. Instead of eating your normal favorite recipe of spaghetti...try it with a twist. Replace the pasta with whole-grain wheat pasta and try lean beef for once. It's really good, I would know. Don't get me wrong, junk food isn't bad all the time. We are all human and sometimes we all crave it. If you eat it like once a month and in moderation. Another tip is to replace every junk food, calorie-packed item in your cupboard with a lower-calorie, leaner alternative. Remember to substitute and not eliminate. Elimination is just a set-up for failure. Don't do it.



I'm coming to an end of my fitness soap box moment for tonight. Stay healthy. Please. I beg you. Save your life and then help a friend or two.

Peace, Love, and Running.