A New Chapter

Well, well, well ... things have certainly changed in the last oh ... 2 weeks! 

On Halloween I was contacted by someone I went to school with about a possible opportunity at a law firm in Orange County.  Over the next couple days I corresponded with the president of the firm and set up on interview for the following Monday (11/5). 

The firm is right down the street from where I went to law school.  The cases that they handle are highly specialized.  The people seemed awesome.  The interview went well ... really well ... 2 hours after it, I was offered the job!  The catch?  They wanted me to start the following week.

I had to make a decision fast, but when it came down to it, it was really a no-brainer.  Despite hating change, I know I needed it.  I really, really wanted to be back in southern California with my amazing friends.  I really needed to move on in my career path (whatever it may be).  I also needed to move out of my parent's house and get back on track with my fitness routine. 

So, I accepted the job and told them I would start the following week.  I gave a week notice at my tutoring and babysitting jobs and started packing.  I was excited, but also anxious. 

I was looking forward to getting back to my adult life which I felt like I left behind in southern California, and I did not anticipate saying goodbye would be so difficult.  But it was.  It was really, really hard.  Especially saying goodbye to Adam - that was by far the hardest.  Luckily, I will get to train with him every time I go back to the bay area. 

So exactly 2 weeks from when I found out about the job opportunity, I moved back down to Orange County.  It's a "soft move" considering I pretty much only brought my clothes.  The rest of my stuff will come down in a few weeks when my friend and I move into an apartment together. 

I am excited to get settled back in, to learn a ton at my new job, and to re-establish my fitness routine.  I am excited for this new chapter of my life.

Say yes to new beginnings and new chapters in life!

Motivation Monday: Capable

We are capable of more than we think we are ... of this I am certain.  We doubt ourselves and sell ourselves short.  We think we can't do things when the reality is we won't do them; there is a big difference.  What we need to remember is:

With tomorrow being the 2012 Presidential election, I thought this image and message was quite fitting. 

Change begins with us.  The question is not can we, but will we?

Say yes to doing what you are capable of doing!

Heart of a GIANT

In case you have been living under a rock ... the GIANTS won the 2012 World Series!!  And they did not just win, they SWEPT the Tigers.  It was quite amazing.

In the NLDS against the Reds they came back from and 0-2 deficit to win the series.  Then in the NLCS against the Cardinals they came back from a 3-1 deficit.  They won 6 elimination games.  It was NUTS.

And then, they SWEPT the Tigers in the World Series.  4 games capped off with a little torture.  And then, then we had a parade through the streets of San Francisco, on Halloween.  For someone who hates Halloween it was absolutely perfect - it did not feel like Halloween at all - it was just Giant's parade day.

It was magical to see the streets of SF filled with Orange and Black.  People were smiling a each other, giving high fives, cheering, carrying signs and brooms, climbing on bus stops, and hanging out of windows.  It was awesome and I was so happy to be a part of it. 

My sister and I in our SF hotel room the morning of the parade.

 A friend and I at the parade.

Say yes to going to World Series Parades ... especially when the GIANTS win the World Series!!  :)

Motivation Monday: Give...

You may have noticed lately that many of my blog posts have been about having trouble getting back into the swing of everything.  Unfortunately this is still the case. 

Things in my life are very much up in the air as they have been for quite some time.  I am trying to live every day as it comes, enjoying what I can, preparing for what I can, and holding on for the ride.  Some days that is easy, other days that is really, really hard.

Over the last couple of days I feel like I may have finally regained some focus.  I have made some changes including to temporarily stopping the double days at the gym in order to increase my number of sleeping hours.  I have been able to get a grip on things again (at least I think I have).

Basically I told myself the following:

Say yes to giving it all you've got!

Hawaii: Heaven on Earth

If you have not been to Hawaii, you need to plan a trip … NOW!  I went for the first time 2 years ago for one of my best friend’s wedding and absolutely fell in love with the place.  I just went for the second time this past October, and I practically cried when I left.

In October 2011, I did some recruiting for the law school I attended and as luck would have it one of my flights was oversold.  Not having to be in Miami until the following day, I volunteered to get off the plane and was rewarded with a $500 travel voucher.  I knew immediately I would be using it to go to Hawaii.

A year later my trip was here and I could hardly believe it.  I was nearly shaking on the plane I was so excited to get to Hawaii and see my friend who I had not seen in 2 long years.  The plane trip was excruciatingly long, but I made it.

My last trip to Hawaii was full of all the tourist stuff – Dole Plantation, Pearl Harbor, a snorkeling trip etc.  Last time my friend took me on a waterfall hike that was beautiful but for me miserable as I was completely out of shape – I am sure I complained the entire time.  This trip was going to be different – I was going to do local things and planned to spend a good majority of my trip hiking or laying on the beach.

My plan was a great success as I completed 4 hikes over 7 days.  I first climbed to Makapu’u Lighthouse, which was a nice warm up.  The easy ascent and most paved trail was just what I needed as my legs were still a bit sore from climbing half dome the weekend before.  The view from the top was quite beautiful.

 On the Makapu'u Trail

The second hike I did was the pillboxes in Lanikai.  I was invited to go on this hike with another friend who lives in Hawaii.  The way up and down the ridge was steep, but the trail along the top of the ridge was fairly easy.  The views were stunning and the breeze felt amazing.  

 Pillbox Hike!

The third hike I did was Koko Head.  This is the one I was most nervous about, having read the reviews online and seen the pictures of the 1,000+ “stairs” to the top.  These so called stairs are actually old railroad tracks, that are just far enough apart to make them much more challenging than a regular set of stairs.  The scariest part though was definitely the bridge; part of the track/trail is suspended over a gap and you have to step from beam to beam.  I just took it one step at a time and tried to forget that there was nothing below me!

Koko Head Bridge ... scary!

 Almost made it for sunrise ...

 

 Made it to the top with one of my best friends!

The last hike I did was Diamond Head, and despite high hopes, it was my least favorite.  The view from the top was great, but the trek up was rather boring.  The crowds and high heat that day probably did not help much either.  But, I am glad I did it and can check it off my list.  

 On top of Diamond Head looking toward Waikiki

The rest of my trip was filled with fun things including going to Io’lani palace, attending a street fair with medal of honor winners, taking a catamaran out in Waikiki, driving up to North Shore to see the first swell of the season, eating shaved ice at Matsumoto’s, visiting the Valley of the Temples, and spending hours on the practically deserted Kahala beach.

 Shaved Ice!

 Kahala Beach

 At the Palace

Say yes to seeing Hawaii as a local!

Hiking Half Dome

If you had told me two years ago, (heck, two months ago!) that I would climb Half Dome this year, I would probably have laughed in your face.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Half Dome, checkout this link to the National Parks’ site that tells you all about it … watch the video … it really makes you think twice about climbing this beautiful mountain.

This adventure all started with a friend of mine.  He climbed to the base of the cables on Half Dome last year, but did not finish the climb; he regretted that every day and was determined to get to the top this year.  He mentioned a couple of times that he wanted to do it, and each time I brushed him off saying that I wasn’t ready for it but would love to do it next year.  He was insistent that it be this year.

Because he had not applied for permits to climb (required) in the spring, he was subject to a 2 day lottery in which you apply 2 days before you want to climb, and you are put into a drawing and notified the next day.  This is kind of inconvenient considering you then have 24 hours to get to Yosemite to do the climb … but that’s the way it goes! 

He wanted to do it.  I wanted to wait.  We decided to leave it up to the lottery to decide.  We applied for the Saturday lottery and did not get the permits.  We applied for the Sunday lottery and both got permits.  I was admittedly nervous, but also excited. 

Saturday was drove out to Yosemite, pitched out tent, cooked dinner, and were in bed sometime around 8pm.  Sounds early right?  Well, we were getting up a mere 6.5 hours later at 2:30am to start our trek up the mountain.  At the suggestion of several individuals we decided to start as early as possible to get the uphill part out of the way before it started getting hot.  Plus, the hike is 16.5 miles round trip, meaning it is a full day hike no matter when you start.

We hit the trailhead sometime around 3:30am.  It was dark and cool and we were virtually the only ones on the trail.  It was very peaceful and calming to watch the sun com up on the face of the mountains.  We reached the base of the cables around 9:30 … not bad timing wise!  We sat at the base of the cables for awhile watching other climb and trying to discern a strategy.  The bottom and the top seemed manageable … it was the vertical middle that was going to pose a problem.

Top of subdome prior to climbing the cables.

 

My friend ascended the cables with what looked like ease (though I’m sure he might argue this).  I was much slower, taking each “step” at a time.  About halfway up, I stopped for quite awhile.  I looked around and I thought to myself “what the f*ck am I doing on the side of a mountain?!?” (Please excuse the language, but it was the only appropriate word at the time.)  I looked at all the beauty around me, and knew that I had to finish what I started, or like my friend I would regret it every day and find myself there in a year to complete the task.

I finally made it to the top, and the view was definitely worth the effort.  It felt like you were on top of the world.  It is surreal (even more so now that I am down) and I wish I had appreciated it more while I was up there.  It was nothing short of breath taking, and the sense of accomplishment was overwhelming.  

 

View from the top.

We made it together!

After the initial satisfaction, came the dread of the descent, which I had been the most worried about.  I just took it slow, again one step at a time.  I made it down, and proceeded down subdome (tons and tons of stairs). I thought the hard part was over, but boy was I wrong.  At this point it was noon and we had climbed up 8.2 miles and back down 2 miles.  We had 6.2 to go and I was exhausted and it was getting hot.  We trudged along at a much slower clip, just trying to put one foot in front of the other.   

We made it through Little Yosemite Valley and at the suggestion of my friend stopped at the river.  I was reluctant to climb down to it, not wanting to have to push my legs further than necessary, but the lure of the water and desire to soak my feet was too strong.  I’m glad I gave in.  The cool water felt amazing on my filthy, tired feet.  The only bummer was I had forgotten an extra pair of socks, so I had to put the dirty ones back on.  

My shoes were trashed!

When we hit the next mileage sign, we were presented with 2 options – on way was 4 miles, the other 2.5.  We decided to go the shorter way … big mistake!  The way we chose was series of switch backs that were composed entirely of “stairs” created from stacked stones.  This would have been bad on its own, but I had one additional problem.  I wear contacts, and one of them either shifted or got something in it and I could not seem to clear it, so the vision in my right eye was compromised, interfering with my depth perception, meaning I had to focus on each and every step I took, making sure my foot was properly placed.  This was extremely tiring. 

At 5pm, nearly 14 hours after we started, we made it to the bottom!  We were both ecstatic, but extremely tired.  We made a quick trip to the general store (in search of an ornament and a pin).  Then we hit the showers – best $5 I have ever spent!  I think I stood under the water for a good 30 minutes.  Our plan was to cook dinner that night, but with how tired we were, it was out of the question; fortunately we were able to get a pizza, which we quickly consumed.  We were in bed by 7:30!

Still can't believe I was at the top of that!

This experience was nothing short of crazy.  It was spontaneous (at least on my part) and grueling.  It pushed me to my limits, but gave me a huge sense of accomplishment and a new appreciation for natural beauty.  Though I encourage everyone to do this, I have no desire to ever do it again – it is truly a ONCE in a lifetime experience!

Say yes to spontaneity, say yes to being pushed to your limits, say yes to ONCE in a lifetime experiences … say YES to climbing Half Dome!

The Giant Race

A little over a week ago, I ran my first 5k.  I have done 5ks before, but never with the intention of running them. 

I signed up for the Giant Race (sponsored by the SF Giants and benefiting Project Open Hand) in March of 2012.  Unlike in the past, this time I actually trained for the race with the intention of running all 3.1 miles.

I worked with my trainer on strengthening my legs - think squats, lunges, and stairs ... lots of stairs.  But he also had me running - on the treadmill, on the track, and on the concrete.  The most I ever ran during my training was 2.25 miles, so I was a little nervous about running nearly a mile more than that on the actual day, but I figured the adrenaline would help.  I trained at about at 12 minute mile pace.

Three days before the race, I woke up with a terrible sore throat.  I slept most of the day and started to feel better, but I knew I was not 100%, even come race day morning.  But I had worked so hard, I was determined to run this race.

Adam and I got to the ballpark a little after 7, parked and warmed up a bit.  Then we waited with the thousands of other people to do the race.  The first 1/2 mile was very congested so we were weaving in and out of people; then it lightened up as people found their pace and a little space to run.  The first mile was hell - it was cold so I was just warming up, and it was super crowded.  The second mile was amazing - I felt good and it flew by.  The third mile was ok - nothing special here.

 Thousands of people at the starting line.





I intended to run the entire thing, but unfortunately had to slow to a walk twice for about a minute each time.  I wasn't out of breath - I actually felt great.  My legs did not hurts, they were still going strong.  I even managed to ignore the soreness in my throat.  Unfortunately I could not ignore the pain in my right shoulder.  I tweaked something the way I was holding it up and had to slow to rub it out.  (Looks like we will be doing more upper body work soon :( ugh!)

But, despite the 2 short slow downs, I managed to finish the race in 37 minutes and 29 seconds which is a 12:05 mile pace!  We ended the race on the field at AT&T Park which was very, very cool.  We also got medals, t-shirts, and a Matt Cain bobblehead.  It was a very fun morning, and as soon as I was done I was ready to sign up for another one.

All finished and ready for more!

I am thrilled with my time and the fact that I did not fully stop during the race, but I am looking forward to making improvements the next time around.

Say yes to 5ks!

Motivation Monday: Sore or Sorry?

What will you choose?

Say yes to sore!!

Oysters

My two best friends in law school were ALWAYS trying to get me to try new foods.  I typically complied with their requests, but more often than not, did not like the food I was peer-pressured into tasting.  I tried sushi and it was a no go, though to be fair, we may have started out too ambitious instead of easing into it, so sushi might have to get a second chance.  I also had an aversion to pretty much anything green (is this sounding familiar?)

But, my palate has certainly changed over the last couple of years, and I am more willing than ever to try new foods.  Best of all though, many of the new foods I try I actually like!

When I was in Tahoe for Labor Day weekend, I happened to be with one of these two guys, and he insisted that I try an oyster.  I was hesitant.  I looked at it skeptically as he placed it in front of me.  I begged him to let me cut it in half to which he replied "if you do that, you will never eat the second half."  Let me tell you, that was not encouraging.

 My Oyster

But, my mantra is to "say yes" right? So ... I sucked it up and tried it. 

 Trying the Oyster

Much to my surprise (and everyone else's as well) I actually liked it.  I would definitely eat oysters again.

Not so bad!

Say yes to oysters!

Motivation Monday: Stronger by Kelly Clarkson

Another song for some motivation ... a little Kelly Clarkson to start you day.  Remember, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!

You know the bed feels warmer
Sleeping here alone
You know I dream in color
And do the things I want

You think you got the best of me
Think you've had the last laugh
Bet you think that everything good is gone
Think you left me broken down
Think that I'd come running back
Baby you don't know me, cause you're dead wrong

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter
Doesn't mean I'm over cause you're gone

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger
Just me, myself and I
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone

You heard that I was starting over with someone new
They told you I was moving on, over you

You didn't think that I'd come back
I'd come back swinging
You try to break me, but you see

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter
Doesn't mean I'm over cause you're gone

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger
Just me, myself and I
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone

Thanks to you I got a new thing started
Thanks to you I'm not the broken-hearted
Thanks to you I'm finally thinking about me
You know in the end the day you left was just my beginning
In the end...

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter
Doesn't mean I'm over cause you're gone

[2x]
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger
Just me, myself and I
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone

(When I'm alone)


Say yes to being stronger ... in every sense of the word! :)