Race Report: Louisville Trail Half Marathon
Two weeks ago, I ran my first distance race in more than 2.5 years. In February 2015, I quit halfway through the Lost Dutchman Marathon because I decided I'd rather be brunching with Adam than running. Later that month, I ran the Montgomery Marathon to make up for DNFing. And then - I didn't run anything longer than a 10K until this month. I've been hitting the trails with my friend Sarah a bit lately, and a few weeks ago, she got me out for a 7 mile trail run. I had a blast, and it reminded me of how fun it can be to just go out and run for a good long time rather than worrying about pace! So the next weekend, I went out for what I hoped would be an 8 mile run - but turned into a 10 mile run. I decided I was going to run the Louisville Trail Half Marathon to get back in the long distance game, and while those two runs didn't really qualify me as "trained", I still hoped I might be able to PR. My current PR was 1:51:30, and while this course was at altitude and was on trails, it was described as a "flat and fast course". I checked out the map, and the elevation profile did indeed look pretty easy - at least compared to the trial runs I usually do. Of course, fast forward to … [Continue reading]
To Be Successful, Start by Being Happy
I recently read a fascinating interview with Amy Blankson of the UN’s Global Happiness Council. In it, Blankson notes that 90% of our happiness isn’t determined by genes or environment, but by our ability to be optimistic in how we view various situations. This was a huge epiphany for me. I don’t think my life has been any better in the last few months than it has been any other year of my life – but I’ve started focusing on all the things that make me happy and reframing the things that don’t. As a result, for the last few months, I’ve found myself pleasantly surprised by how generally happy I am. I hadn’t even realized this until a new friend pointed it out in August. “You are always so happy. Don’t you ever have a bad day?!” I stopped and thought about it, and I couldn’t remember a day in the last few months that was truly bad. No, not everything is perfect in my life – but when things go wrong, I've somehow learned to look on the bright side. The last really big bad thing I can remember was back in March, when I had the aphasia incident on the plane where my brain was being weird and I couldn’t read or speak. I was terrified that I had suffered a stroke, and the variety … [Continue reading]
Weekend Recap: A Surprisingly Pumpkin-y Good Time
Since I travel four days a week, I have to make the absolute most of my limited time at home. As a result, there is nothing I hate more than being home without any plans. So, I usually start planning my weekend on Monday or Tuesday, and if I don’t have a full roster of activities by Wednesday, I start getting a little anxious. This week was one of those times when I didn’t have a lot planned, and I thought it was going to be a lonely / bad weekend. However, it turned out to be one of my best yet! Friday I was pretty slammed at work trying to get a proposal done in time for Monday, but I called a hard stop at 5:30pm and then put in a few hours Saturday and Sunday instead. Not a bad trade! I was then able to relax and have a fabulous Friday night checking out the happy hour at The Med in Boulder with my friend Laura. I’ve heard great things about the Med, but never before been – and it didn’t disappoint! Great happy hour prices on wine and tapas (try the hummus, which came with some really delicious spiced grilled bread). Laura and I also shared a vegetarian paella with goat cheese that was fantastic - I'd definitely recommend that too. Meanwhile, Laura was out of town most … [Continue reading]
Links I Love: October 15, 2017
Want to stay in bed longer? Here’s what I’ve been loving, laughing at, and getting intrigued by all week long. Now cozy up with your laptop/tablet and enjoy :) CAREER Not Enough Experience For The Job You Want? Here's How To Get Around It. (Bossed Up) How To Identify A Toxic Culture Before Accepting A Job Offer. (Fast Company) How to know if you have impostor syndrome—and what to do about it. (Well & Good NYC) 5 Hacks to Boost Your Confidence Before That Big Meeting. (Career Contessa) 12 Innovative Ways to Innovate Your Innovation. Hilarious! (Medium) When Working From Home Doesn’t Work. (The Atlantic) Guiding principles for deciding whether to pause a career to raise a family. (Quartz) A majority of men say there are enough women in leadership roles. (CNBC) PRODUCTIVITY/SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY How to Have a Good Day at Work: Interview with author Caroline Webb. (Glass Door) Feel overwhelmed by work? Try giving your days a theme. (A Life of Productivity) 8 Reasons the 8 Hour Workday Doesn’t Make Sense. (Medium) 11 Habits of Genuinely Likable People. (Inc) Do You Know How Others See You?. (Wall Street Journal) Rich Men With Extreme … [Continue reading]
