Take Heart

I was on such a blogging kick! Now here we are, seven days later...

Oh well. We can't be perfect all of the time! :)

My dad spent last weekend in Tulsa, and we painted my office (pictures to come!) and of course did a TON of yard work.

I'm such a lucky girl to have such a handy dad. But I truly just enjoy one on one time with him, too! (Don't be jealous, mom!) So, great weekend.

And this week... has been busy! I've had meetings, long days at work. Stressful days at work. I played tennis for the first time Tuesday and my wrist hasn't felt the same since. (Don't worry, I'll be fine.)

So, that's just a quick snippet of my week! I have a lot to elaborate on- but I do want to say today that I'm reading a new John Eldredge devotional (my favorite these days) and it's all about the heart. Listening to our hearts, following our bliss and passion. Letting God speak to us through our heart.

If you've read my blog for any length of time (or know me in person) you know this kind of devotional is right up my alley. I love nothing more than matters of the heart.

And it's appropriate, too. As I kind of get settled in this next chapter of life, there are some growing pains. Some times a girl's heart just hurts. You know?

Life can be tricky, and tough. Relationships don't come easily. Managing a home and bills on your own doesn't come easily. Keeping up with a fast-paced career isn't a walk in the park.

Along the way, little things just ping at your heart. You wish it was all a little easier.

But the grass is always greener on the other side. No one has it "easy." But it's no excuse to lose heart!

While I was running this morning, I ticked off all of the things that make my heart so very joyful. And as it turns out- life is pretty great. My heart is full.

Have a great Thursday, everyone! And take heart; it will all be ok!

Be Kind

I woke up this morning incredibly sore with a raging charlie horse situation going on in my right calf.

Needless to say, I'm sitting here at the computer with my coffee, no intention of doing any exercise today!

I don't really mind, though, because it's kind of awesome. I never envisioned myself as an athlete- and now, not only am I working out- no, training- with some very specific goals in mind- but it's not just about the calories.

I now focus on getting faster, breathing easier. If I change my form just a tiny bit, my body will feel it. If I change my pace, or my distance, I will feel it. It's amazing that to me that I'm at that point, where focusing on form and endurance can impact me that much.

And, with the sore muscles comes the realization that I need to take extra care of my body. I need to eat enough calories every day. I need to hydrate days in advance. I am taking two rest days a week right now- because the five days I'm working out are intense. (And in the heat, I may as well be working out 8 times a week!)

It's funny how pushing yourself so hard- also makes you realize how kind you have to be to yourself. There's more pressure to keep going, keep working. And so you have to fight that a little bit and tell yourself it's OK to back off, even if it's just for a day.

I'm also realizing that some days- my need for a rest day has nothing to do with my body. Those are the days my heart and spirit need a little more attention.

And lately, I've needed to be kind to myself about where I'm at in life, in general.

I've spent the last six years building my life, on my own. An amazing sense of pride comes with that. And at times, an amazing sense of pressure, too. All that I have, the responsibility, weighs on me. And all that I don't have yet weighs on me, too.

The economy is scary. Jobs are precious. Relationships are tricky. Money is for saving.

We all have our "list."

On the days we have sore muscles- or sore hearts- we have to be kind to ourselves.

But then we have to keep pushing forward, get faster and better and stronger.

And take a little comfort that where we're "at"- when it comes to training, and when it comes to life- is exactly where we're supposed to be.

Hot Summer Days

Highs in the 100's this week?! No thank you! This heat is brutal and miserable.

I can't believe I'm saying this- but I wouldn't mind a snowy, icy-cold winter!

I'm seriously having visions of the day I turn my heater on, drink hot coffee all day long (possibly with a dash of Bailey's). I'm even excited to run in the freezing cold. I bought some cute long-sleeved running attire last year that I hardly wore!

Two hot summers in a row... with a mild winter in between, if you could even call it that... is just not cutting it.

It makes the natives restless.

The heat is driving all kinds of... visitors?... indoors. And Maizy is loving every minute of it.

She spends most of her evenings hunting bugs.....



... and her mornings completely exhausted. The guest room used to be Maizy's room when she was a kitten and too little to wander the house on her own.

Now, she takes up half the bed.  *Sniff!!*

Hang in there, everyone. We're almost to the weekend!

Monday?!

I'm going to try my best not to start this post with a Monday comment.

OK, nevermind. It's Monday again?! Already?!

This weekend breezed by so incredibly fast. I can think of one hour and a half stretch where I had nothing to do. And I spent that hour and a half reading/napping. The rest of the time, I was on the go. I didn't get around to everything I wanted to do- but that's OK. No guilt here.

Saturday morning, the great "animal whisperer" came to my house to "sniff out" the location of that... stinky Friday the 13th smell. Well, he found it! A dead mouse under the threshold of the front door. Serious yuck. But my house once again smells lovely!

I have several weeks- and weekends- of "nothing" coming up. Nowhere to go or be. Just life. I'm actually really happy about that; it seems like since January, there has been one big event after another. I'm excited to put in some serious training hours, work on my house, spend quality time with my friends. Make a few trips down to Texas just because, not for any reason.

I need these times in life- where I can lock into a routine. It kind of stabilizes my soul, you know what I mean? I know I'm adverse to change; but I also think a consistent routine helps me gain some perspective. When my life isn't in constant motion, I can step back, evaluate, think.

With all that said- I have another busy week on tap! And I'm kicking it off this morning by volunteering at Salvation Army with a group from work.

Here's to a great Monday! Friday will be here in the blink of an eye. :)

Stinky Friday the 13th

Friday the 13th really stinks.

No, literally.

Since yesterday morning.... something has been stinking up my house. At first I ignored the stench; just a weird summer smell, I thought to myself.

(What is a weird summer smell? Not sure how I justified that one.)

Then I got home last night from work- and it stunk worse than ever.

BUT- this morning, I wake up to no smell! I was thrilled. I figured some poor creature possibly died underneath my house... and a scavenger came and took care of it for me overnight.

Seriously, how do I justify these thoughts?

But I come home after my bike ride this morning- and BAM. Stink. Is. Back.

I am really sensitive to smells. A few winters ago, during a major no-one-works-for-five-days-straight snow storm, I started to smell gasoline. I even had our gas company trek out in the storm to check it out. Nope, no gas leak. But I figured it out! A sheet of ice was covering my heat vent outside--- and trapping some harmless fumes. Which were then sent into the house, where a crazy, type-A, OCD woman lives. Where said woman freaks out and envisions her house blowing up in a ball of flames.

All this to say, I will not sleep or rest easy until this stinky smell is eliminated. It unsettles me.

And, worst of all, I have now had to cancel a lunch meeting for said stink. I was out of coffee, so I had to make a cranky, mad dash to the grocery store where my usual coffee AND creamer were both out of stock. Even my go-to face cleanser was out.

No, don't feel sorry for me. These are just the ramblings of a girl living in a stinky house.

Did I mention I looked forward to today's lunch meeting all week?

Yeah, yeah, best laid plans and all that.

But, on the bright side- it's Friday! One more newscast to produce tonight before a weekend of long runs, bike rides, yard work, girls' night and more.

Let's hope Saturday the 14th- smells a lot better than Friday the 13th!

Friday Eve

I love Thursdays! It's the edge of the weekend, everyone is starting to get out of their mid-week blues. And at work all summer long, we're "On The Road" on Fridays with a fun show- live in different areas of the community.

Insert shameless FOX23 plug here. Watch at 9pm!

Speaking of work- this week has been a doozy. Between late baseball games, first-time show reviews (today, gulp) and just the crazy day-in, day-out stuff... I'm ready for the weekend! But, more thankful than ever for this awesome opportunity. Producing the news, again. Life really comes full circle sometimes, you know?

I also have some other fun stuff in the works. Saturday, I have a skype interview for a potential... gig? A volunteer opportunity that would be pretty cool. I have to give a five-minute "how-to" presentation. Via skype. Wish me luck!

And, can we just say for the record... training for a sprint triathlon... in one million degree heat... is the worst. I took a much needed "off-day" yesterday- but today, back in action. I literally feel like I'm baking alive... WHILE running. Not a pleasant feeling. Anyone have a gym membership they want to loan me for the next few months??

Aside from all of the little side projects going on, I'm also slowly working on house projects again. As every home owner knows, these projects come in phases! I'm putting my focus back into my guest room/office. And, I was excited this week to receive my newest print!

Keep Calm... And Tri On. Good words of advice at the moment! That will eventually be hanging on the wall. But for now, it's pretty cute at my desk. (Please ignore the families in the picture frames; they are not mine. I'm in the process of putting up new pictures!)

I also ordered something adorable from Etsy for those race bibs you see on my desk. Can't wait to reveal this office when it's finally done!

Hope you are all having a good week! I plan on having some major downtime this weekend. Wine on the patio and my latest good book are calling my name.

In the meantime... happy Friday eve!

Off And Running

Wait, what?! That was it? That was the weekend?

Good grief. These long, hot summer days are flying by. I, for one, would like time to slow down a bit and speed up, all at once. Or maybe just go on full fast-forward to October... then stop. On a beautiful, chilly day. Or even a gross day with misty rain. I'll take both.

But, no. It's early July in Oklahoma. There are days upon days of heat ahead.

And does anyone notice the locusts? That kind of rattling noise that just makes it seem like you're in a western movie? With dust blowing and heat radiating off of everything?

Ok, enough about the heat. I took a nice break this weekend- from pretty much everything. Very low-key. Very much needed.

And I finished a book! Gold was phenomenal. I stayed up until 3am Saturday night (rocking weekend, I know) just finishing that book. I laughed, I cried. Totally recommend it.

Now, the week begins!

Monday is off and running.

Hope it's a great one!

Training Update

Ah, the fog is lifting! Finally, this "summer funk" seems to be on its way out the door. Thank goodness. There's too much to enjoy right now!

So, a little update on my sprint triathlon training. I'm racing in a town called Sapulpa in September. 750 meter lake swim, 10 mile bike ride and 3 mile run. Oy.

Swimming: I can easily swim 750 meters (I'm currently training around 800 or 900 meters.) But I have *never* done that swim in a lake. Darn- I guess that means I'll need to spend a weekend at the lake house training before September 8th! :)

Biking: I put new pedals on my bike yesterday- toe clips, or cages- and went for a little test ride. I definitely think they will improve my pace! I'm working my way up to clipless pedals- where you clip your foot into the pedal. Those scare me to death. But- my goal is to start racing with them in 2013. For now, the cages will be great. Bikers, any tips on how to overcome my fear of falling off of the bike?!

Running: Surprisingly my weakest sport at the moment, since running is where it all started. I start to have trouble catching my breath after about a mile- so I'm really working on some breathing techniques. Of course, the oppressive heat does not help. Breathing tips and techniques, anyone?

Once a week, I go swim at the YMCA. My beautiful, clean pool at Oral Roberts University is closed in the mornings during the summer- so I've been going to the Y. And last week, after my swim, I hit the treadmill to run 3 miles. What a difference! No wind, heat, gravel. So I'm going to really work on my breathing and pace on the treadmill and see if it makes a difference when I'm outside.

I've probably lost about half of you by now! But this training has become a really important- and special?- part of my life. I love it. I love having a race to work towards- but really, I just enjoy pushing myself in these three different areas. Each sport brings out a different attitude, mindset and strength in me. It's like a big personality test! How do you handle swimming with chaos around you? (Swim lessons to the left, grandma-aerobics to the right.) How do you cope with the heat? What will happen if when you fall off of your bike?

I'll probably start writing a little training update on here once a week until the race. That way one day I can look back and see how far I've come! (Or... how far I've fallen... ha!)

Have a good one!

Musings on the 4th

Happy 4th of July! Whether you're spending the day at the lake with family & friends (ahem, my family!)... or heading into work later (this girl!)... I hope you squeeze some fun and celebration into today!

I'm spending my morning being super lazy. I had plans to take a long bike ride, but I think today is a two-cup-of-coffee kind of day, staying in my PJ's as long as possible. I need a little quiet time to myself, too. I just downloaded a new John Eldredge devotional- hope it's a good one!

On top of being in a little summer funk the past few days, I'm also really searching my heart for forgiveness and trust.

I'm learning that not everyone in our lives knows how to take care of our hearts. They don't tread as lightly as they should. Words and actions can quickly be twisted and turned, and we're left feeling a little... trampled on.

Growing as a person, in a relationship, in a friendship, in a family, in a business partnership, requires- I'm learning- copious amounts of forgiveness and trust. Second chances, mature conversations, working through it- it's key, huh?

The hard part is determining when the hurt- outweighs everything else. When do you stop giving second chances?

See, I told you it was a two-cup-of-coffee kind of morning!

It's time for me to crack open that new devotional, have a little QT time, and reflect on this good, great life we've got here on Earth.

And, specifically, in the great US of A! :)

Happy 4th!

Summer Funk

Yesterday morning, I woke up with a view of the lake in a quiet house. I promptly packed up the car and headed back to the "real world"- and went straight into work until 10pm last night.

Ah, such is life.

I had a wonderful, fun, refreshing weekend with my family at the lake house. My dad makes a new cocktail called "The Lake House Special" that is--- well, special! We played lots of Mexican Train, watched fireworks, swam in the lake, water skied. Summer, in a nutshell.

And now I'm back- and last night, I was in a royal funk. Sometimes you have to shake yourself out of it- and sometimes, you have to indulge yourself. I did the latter- with a almost-too-hot bath and a glass of wine.

Why the funk? Who knows. The funk comes, the funk goes. (I may have a future in song writing?!)

I think sometimes those quiet morning at the lake remind me of a different kind of life- one that is slow and peaceful and not stressful, with lots of lake house specials. One that always seems just out of reach.

But then- if that was every day life- what would make the lake house.... special?

Ah, yes. Deep thought for a Tuesday. See? This is the funk I mentioned.

Why the funk? Who knows. The funk comes, the funk goes...

It's catchy and you know it.

In other news, I've hit my summer stride when it comes to reading. I'm devouring one good book after another.

This weekend, I read "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn. I read it fast- just two days- and I was totally swept up in it. It's a mystery/thriller. Not my typical genre, but a perfect summer read!

Now, I've moved onto "Gold" by Chris Cleave. I've been waiting for this book to come out for months. It's on a bunch of "must-read" lists- plus it's about two friends, cyclists, competing for the Olympic Gold. Um, I'm sold. I started it last night- and I'm already hooked. Great story.

And Shadow of Night comes out next week! I've been waiting ONE YEAR for this sequel to Discovery of Witches, which I consumed last summer. I can't wait. These books are a tough read- lots of information- but the story is SO enthralling. I love a book that can't be read in one weekend, that drags out a bit.

So there you have it. While I wait out this funk, you can find me on the couch in the bathtub on the back patio- with my best imitation of a Lake House Special- and a good book!

And if I envision a quiet house on the lake while I'm at it, no one will know.