Sorry, I'm Not Sorry. (A Year in Review)

I envisioned my return to blogworld with some sort of apologetic post.  "I've been so busy!  Don't hate me!  Please keep reading!"

Well... Screw it.

I haven't blogged in a while.  I chose not to.  And that's the truth.  And I'm not sorry.

See, I love being an influencer, a content-producer, and a life-changer.  And if this blog is any of those things for any of you reading, that's awesome!  That was my intention.

A few months ago, however, I decided to focus on myself a little more...  To be a little selfish.  Who doesn't wish they could do that??  "Well," I figured, "What's stopping me?"  I decided that instead of starting a new post draft every time I had idea, I would reflect, journal, or meditate.  I wanted to focus more on listening to what others have to say and less on producing exciting and engaging blog posts.  There's so much stuff out there on the internet... about 99% of it is useless junk that no one wants to read.... I told myself, "Don't add to the junk!"

So what conclusions did I come to after all of this reflecting???

I've come really. freaking. far.

It's been one year since I decided to conquer a life-long goal: run a marathon.  I had said years ago I wanted to do it but, to others, but I'm sure it seemed like "blah blah whatever." (Shut up, younger Wendy!  Less talking, more reflecting!)

Around the same time, I was starting to dislike meat again.  I had been pescetarian in college and just slowly started eating that way again.  Initially, I didn't dive in with the intention of being vegetarian or vegan, but it just sort of happened that way.  More and more of what I was reading and watching supported a vegan lifestyle... Celebs like Ellen, President Clinton, Lea Michele, and Zooey Descheunel (who isn't vegan anymore... blah) were making veganism a little more mainstream.

I also realized that health is a CHOICE.  Not some roulette wheel where you either are one of the lucky healthy ones, or you aren't.  Being balanced and healthy is something that EVERYONE has control over, barring a few extreme circumstances.  EXTREME circumstances.  99% of us have control.

So here I am, one year later.  I ran not only my marathon, but also two half marathons.  I did my first sprint triathlon a few weeks ago.  I'm about half way through a Bikram Yoga challenge, which is AMAZING!!  And, I've been vegan the whole time.

That's one BAMF'n year.

So what now?  What does the next year hold for me?  Hopefully more of the same...

All I can say now is that I realize I'm on a journey bigger than I ever thought, I'm capable of more than I ever knew, and I finally know what it is to be truly 100% happy.

So... sorry, I'm not sorry I haven't been blogging.

What does the next year hold for you?  How are YOU going to TAKE CONTROL?  What will it take to put you back in charge of your body, your health, and your life?

What I Learned from Marathon Training (Digging Up Old Emails)

I don't know about you guys, but I e-mail myself... a lot.  

I suppose it's some form of e-mail journaling... Whatever, it works for me. To each their own, right?

I happened upon this email, and I'm having a particularly low moment right now (Just e-mailed myself about it.. ;-). This old e-mail made me feel a little bit better, and I hope you guys enjoy!

October 31, 2011

It's 6 days until the big 26.2.  I'm incredibly nervous and excited for this day.  In my mind I always wanted to run a marathon, and I envisioned myself checking it off of my bucket list on November 5th with pride.  But to my surprise, I'm feeling perfectly content with my marathon experience up to this point, even if I don't finish the race.  Despite the fact that I had done the research and followed the schedules, I had no clue how incredibly demanding 6 months of training would be, or that I would discover so much about myself, and life, through training.  I've made decisions and life changes that I never would have done before.  It's been amazing.  As others have been telling me, and I am finally able to see... this weekend is a celebration of the past 6 months.  Yes, I'm running the longest race of my life, but I plan to enjoy every second of it.

What I Learned about life from Marathon Training
1.  It's okay to be selfish, as long as you're not hurting anyone.  Make your schedule, on your time, and do what you need to do.  Other people will get over it.  And some will even admire you for it.
2.  With proper care and nourishment, your body is capable of way more than you think.  
3.  Eating ridiculous amounts of food and not feeling guilty is the biggest perk of training.  If you like food, I highly recommend it.
4.  Don't try to beat anyone... you're only competing against yourself.  Get your eyes off the clock and on the road.  
5.  Stay humble.  As hard as you're working, there's always someone working harder.  
6.  Hill = hell.  But there's no better feeling than getting to the top.
7.  Your body is always trying to tell you things.   Listen to it.  It's right 100% of the time.
8.  Listening to music while running is a pleasant distraction, but the real euphoria comes when you're utterly alone with your moving feet on the Earth.  Turn off the tunes and listen to life.... it's amazing what you can hear, inside and out.  
9.  Getting out the door is the first step, and the hardest step, to getting anything done.
10.  There is not much better in life than crossing a finish line.  

And above all... the most important thing I learned from Marathon Training:
* Never wait to set a goal.  Not for a New Year's resolution, a new birthday, when you have money, when you have time, or when you finally get those new sneakers.  Waiting is wasting.  Set the goal now and get to it.  You CAN make it happen.  And you'll thank yourself later.