After a Year...

I have to thank my husband for this. He was the one who pushed me to join my first race last year. On my birthday. It was the Happy Run, and from then on, I was committed.

Yup, for someone who is totally non commital, I chose to stick with running. The good and the bad times. The patient times, the competitive times, the frustrating times. The good and bad races, the accessories, the blogs, the websites,...

Yup, its been a year...

I guess I have gained a lot since then. One is that I dont need to join all the races to run. After joining so many last year, I have decided to be smart this time and just join those that I find meaningful and those that promise to deliver a good race. The last two races I joined were Race and Shine (For Autism, 5k), and since this was very personal to me (my 30 year old brother is autistic), I miraculously broke 40 and set a new record. I had tears in my eyes. I dedicated it to my brother, and like a true angel, he was that wind beneath my wings. And I did soar. That was a beautiful, fun, and intimate race for me. Not many people, but it was well organized. And everyone there thought about the cause.

Yesterday was my first 10k race since June. And I was not concerned about the time I wanted to beat, but more about the quality of my run. My biggest goal was just to finish it without walking. And we sometimes underestimate our own power, and yesterday was a true example. I was late due to the traffic. And gun time showed 1 hour 16 minutes, but my chip said I finished the route, without walking in an hour. My husband cannot believe it, I cannot believe it. But thats the timing chip, and I doubt it lies to please me. So I got more than I hoped for.

Its been a year...

And heres hoping for a half mary before the year ends...

I said hoping...:)

Back to Where I Belong

Alright. Its been a few weeks, and my last post sounded really suicidal. What that was about, I dont know. A combination of stress, PMS and major hormonal imbalance.

So what has happened since my telenovela episode? Let me enumerate...

1. My Birthday... I turned 34 last Jan. 25, and it seemed like any other day, but I was in a chirpy mood. Pretty thankful for the blessings that I received since I was born. Everyone tried to make the day as special. And I did feel special. Dinner in Korea Garden...Yum!

2. Macao... Shopping wise, I was so bitin. Venetian was a little too crowded, Wynn was a beauty, City of Dreams was a let down. Had a great time with baby, hubby, mom and dad. Coming home was a major challenge. We were delayed because of our boat ride from Macao to HK due to the thick fog, but everything became surreal thereafter. The rocky boat stop, the taxi stand, the wrong terminal, the whole golf cart experience. Definitely one for the books. There was excitement and fear, but we made it!!

3. Back to Running... So excited for the 10k race on the 21st. Of course, my time has not changed at all, but I believe my run has improved tremendously. Although I am lucky to break 90 mins... sheesh. Im sure walkers will even be faster. But what the hell...

4. New Hobby: STYLING!! Suddenly, I am so fashion conscious. It started actually when our old house burned down, and I realized, among others (serious matters take precedence!!) that I had the worst fat clothes, that I only have one life, then improve myself from the inside as well as the out... (thats why I got into fitness, too). Then I fell in love with fashion and style. Dont get me wrong, I still wear dusters and I still do dress down, but my closet has gone through seasonal editing since. And now I read about different styles, clothes that I consider a piece of art (but I still would not buy due to my meager budget!), dressing simply but a little bit more polished, hunting for bargains but investing in lifetime pieces, learning to accessorize, even learning to wear heels. Bottom line, I have become more developed and refined in my style, but my friends have noticed the difference. Well, one whole post I can dedicate on book reviews just on style alone. So watch out for that!

5. On teaching, my calling... I guess its time to work full time, where I really belong. I feel my little girl will be alright even if I start to work full time. I am thankful for my part time stint, it made me realize how much I miss preschool...

So I guess thats it for now. I still have a lot to explore, cooking, sewing...