I'm Baaa...aaack!

"Everybody needs a little time away".... sang Chicago in 1982. Almost as long as ago as my last post!

The last year or so has been full of so many life changes for me.  Last April, I went for and was offered a promotion at work. I gained a huge team. Then the re-org'ing started and life became very very stressful. I've had 4 bosses in the last 12 months and changed departments just as many times. I thought I was going to lose my job every other week. I was able to keep up with my training schedule but blogging was feeling like a chore, not the fun, positive outlet it started out to be.

In February of 2012, I stopped eating dairy on regular basis. Hubby and I both went vegetarian the day after Thanksgiving in 2011. My final straw was a giant turkey leg at Disneyland on Thanksgiving. Eating animals just flat out stopped feeling "right"...although, I don't know if it ever felt "right" to me, looking back. Sure I wanted to stop eating meat in the 6th grade when I found out Michael Jackson was a vegetarian but that lasted all of about 6 hours, I'm sure.

As of today, I consider myself to be 85% vegan when it comes to food choices. I've gained 12 pounds in the process but I'm working on that. When you go from a diet of nutritionless, processed CRAP to eating real, whole foods, there is a calorie consideration. I would have never eaten as many nuts and oils before; opting instead for "fat free" processed crackers, chips or 100-calorie snack packs loaded with preservatives and not-so natural flavors. No more. I cook almost every meal at home from scratch. I bought a Blend Tec and even make my own ketchup and cashew cheese!

Some of my running accomplishments over these last 12 months have included:

Me&Charlene- 2013 LAM

1. 2012 Nike Women's Marathon PR - 4:56
2. 2012 Disneyland Half PR - 1:48!
3. 2012 Say No To Drugs Universal Studios Backlot 10K - 1st place AG (2nd yr in a row!)
4. First run streak - 50 Days! From 2012 Thanksgiving until our first night in Orlando, FL for the 2013 Goofy's Challenge at Disney World.
5. Goofy's Challenge 2013
6. Surf City Marathon PR - 4:50 - just 3 weeks after running Goofy
7. LA Marathon PR -4:47  - my 3rd marathon in 62 days. I had the privilege of running with a great coach and friend Charlene (at FAB Running with Charlene). She helped me push harder in that last 5K than I thought I was capable of. We're planning on running 2014 LAM together and trying to qualify for Boston in the next couple of years so we can experience Boston together too! YES!!
8. Marathon Maniacs Qualifier/Member - "Bronze Level - 3 in 90 days" - Disney World (1/13/13), Surf City (2/3/13), LA Marathon (3/17/13)

Don't get me wrong, it hasn't all been roses and daisies. I tried to run my first 50K Ultra but a terrible combination of a midnight start, elevation and a host of hotel issues caused me to drop out at mile 20. I've put my Ultra plans on hold until Fall 2014 so I can focus on speed for the next 6-8 months.


In other news, my handsome nephew graduated from high school AND we welcomed his new baby brother into our family just a few weeks prior!





















Our Galloway group is still going strong and growing! Fewer things in life give me greater pleasure than helping people achieve their fitness and running goals. Here's a pic from our "Run For Boston" earlier this year:

So that it's in a nutshell. I'm looking forward to getting back to blogging regularly!

XO