Healthy Life Happy Wife

What do you think of the new site?  There are definitely some tweaks that I still need to work out – but I plan on trying to do a lot of cleaning up this weekend.  Work has been busy so I have not had any time to do anything during the week.  Dang you full-time job.

But on that note – pleeeeeaaassseee look through the site for a minute and let me know if you see anything that is glaringly messed up!  I will not be insulted, I swear.  I just want to make the little baby blog perfect.

Also, for those of you who have self-hosted WordPress sites – any widget suggestions?  It is crazy how much I want to do now that I have the ability to – and I have no idea where to start!

I’m a nervous baby.

In other news, I ran the NYC Half Marathon last Sunday.  I have a lot to tell you about it – recap this weekend, you lucky ducks!  What I can say is the NYC Half Marathon is my favorite race by far.  It is truly magical.  And – spoiler alert – because if you are anything like me this is all you really want to know

2:16:42

Not my best, not my worst.  But you will find out why I am proud of this time anyway!  Hope you will still come read my recap even though I already gave away the good part.

But as much as I would like to sit at home and write my recap right now – work is calling.  More like yelling.  Talk soon!

I planned on posting my 2012 running survey (started by Miss Zippy!) sometime this past weekend but I have been laid out, sick in bed instead. I’m finally starting to feel a little bit better so I figured what better day to recap my 2012 in running then the LAST day of 2012!?

My 2012 in Running

Best race experience?

Wow. This is a tough one. I had so many great race experiences this year it is hard to pull one out as the best. Instead, I will give you my top 3!

3. Running the NYC half marathon (my first half marathon ever!) with my little brother.

2. Running (& swimming & biking) our first triathlon in Aruba with 5 days notice.

1. Reach the Beach relay! This is number 1 because I got to experience it with BLC, meet a ton of awesome new runner friends & fell in love with relays!!

Best run?

That’s easy. I have yet to encounter another run as majestic as the run that renewed my love affair with running. Read about if you haven’t already hoping for a couple of those in 2013!

Best new piece of gear?

My new Nike long sleeved zip up! Love the thumb holes, color & fit!

Best piece of running advice you received?

“Take 180 steps per minute while you run.” – No Meat Athlete

Most inspirational runner?

So many of the women whose blogs I read inspire me to be better, be faster, be more disciplined but the two that are the most inspiring to me personally are probably Sarah from Once Upon A Lime for how much she has improved & gotten faster over the past year through her dedication & love of running (plus, I’m pretty sure we would be great drinking buddies) AND Skinnyrunner for the insane amount of miles she runs and the insane amount of marathons she has finished (usually in costume).

If you could sum up your year in a couple of words, what would they be?

Not perfect, but great nonetheless

Happy New Years Eve! Hope you had a wonderful 2012 & here’s to wishing you an even better 2013!!

LIEBSTER AWARD!

I was very excited to see that I was nominated by Zero to Twenty Six Point Two and Burning Babi Fat for the Liebster Award!
Thanks, loves!  I really appreciate it!

So now you all get to hear eleven random facts about moi AND 22 answers to 22 questions!

Some random facts:

1.  I have a large tattoo on the small of my back (technically, a tramp stamp.  yup.  I am a classy broad).  I got it when I had just turned 18 and hid it from my parents for a year.  Luckily, BLC doesn’t mind it and I can’t see it.  I basically forget about it at all times.  BLC actually had to remind me I had one for this random fact.  It is a lotus flower.  Sorry no pic

2.  I hate bikes and umbrellas (more like afraid of them).  I am so afraid when I am on a bike that I am going to crash (which was not that unfounded since I crashed twice during my triathlon.) or someone is going to crash into me.  Also, when I’m just walking I’m so afraid of a biker running into me (it would most likely be my fault, of course) and/or someone poking me in the eye with an umbrella.  Totally rational fears, right?  Good thing I moved to NYC.

3.  I have severe road rage.  I don’t know what comes over me but when I am in the car, I become the devil.  It’s not cute.

4.  I have super curly hair but I get it straightened every 3 months or so.  Always want what ya can’t have.

5.  I have ridden on a camel in Egypt.  Yup.

6.  I love Bloody Mary’s in the morning and tequila in the evening.  I would much rather a spicy drink over a sweet drink.  & if we are day drinking, I will have a Bloody Mary in my hand.  Done.

7.  I have read Fifty Shades of Gray.  It was okay.  Entertaining but nothing crazy good.  I have been trying to finished Fifty Shades Darker since our trip to Aruba…so over a month.  Just not interested anymore.  That makes me the 1% of people who didn’t love it.  Guess I’m just a weirdo.

8.  I carry around toothpicks because my teeth attract food particles.  I honestly can get a piece of food stuck in my teeth after drinking juice.  I don’t know where the food comes from but it gets stuck in my teeth no matter what.  Toothpicks are my savior of life.

9.  I despise squirrels.  Yes, to you they may be cute and cuddly looking but to me they are walking rabies carriers.  Plus, when I was in college we lived in a run down house with squirrels living in the walls.  We could hear them running in the ceiling and walls constantly.  There was even an instance where one fell through the ceiling into my bathroom, ran around in there all night knocking over shampoo bottles and pooping in the shower.  Then my roommate let it out into the living room…and we never saw that squirrel again.  Shudder.

& as my girl Carrie Bradshaw has said, “They are just rats with cuter outfits.”

10.  I was in a sorority in college and I loved every second of it.  I am actually heading to the beach this weekend with about 16 of them.  I’m super excited!

11.  I am a diehard Penn State Nittany Lions and Philadelphia Eagles fan!  I absolutely love football and AM SO EXCITED FOR THE SEASON TO START!  I could talk your ear off about football…so I’ll just leave it at that

So now that you know SO much more about me – how about some questions?!

Burning Babi Fat’s Questions:

Spring!  I love the transition from winter to summer – the flowers are blooming, the weather is not too hot and not too cold & every one is just in much better moods! Plus, my birthday and our wedding anniversary is in April

I was so goofy excited when I saw that Megan over at Run Like a Grl nominated Healthy Life Happy Wife for the One Lovely Blog Pink Tree Award!

She left me a super sweet message telling me she had nominated me & I’ve gotta say I was shocked! I’m still accepting the fact that people other than my mother, mother-in-law & husband actually read my blog so getting nominated was really an honor (cheesy, I know – but true!). I’m just glad that someone actually enjoys reading my rants

Thanks, Megan! BTW, I love your blog, too! I’m so glad we are running RTB together in the fall! Hopefully we can run together before that! Make sure to check out her blog!

So there are a few rules you need to follow to accept this award:

Link back to the blogger who nominated you.
Paste the award image on your blog, anywhere.
Share 7 facts about yourself.
Nominate some other blogs you like for this award.
Post a comment on each of your nominees’ blogs telling them about the nomination.
__________________________________________________________

& now for 7 facts about me:

1. I am obsessed with my pup, Freckles. (As if you didn’t already know that…)

I mean, how could you not be in love with that face?

She is like a little person & it is really amazing how she can do any little thing & all I wanna do is hug her forever. I’m totally weird but it is the truth. I think it may be because I lost my first dog way too early (long, sad story…we won’t go there) so I think it makes me cherish Freck that much more.

Dang, I’m obsessed.

2. I only started running in college & never ran more than 4 miles straight until this year – as in January of 2012.

Since then I have run the NYC Half &

The Brooklyn Half. It’s amazing what training & dedication can do

3. I hoard magazines. Mainly because I subscribe to 9 different magazines. I used to be able to read them all because I would constantly go on the elliptical & read a magazine. Since I have started running, no more magazine time! Now I have a stockpile in my bedroom that I’m sure BLC would love to disappear…

My magazine subscription list:

Runners World
Running Times
Fitness
Shape
Self
Glamour
Marie Claire
Allure
US Weekly

My fav is Runners World!

4. I got married on April 16, 2012 to my best friend. BLC is absolutely amazing & I’m so lucky to have him. I tend to have a bit of a temper & he is super mellow so he definitely evens me out. I have no idea what I would do without him!!

5. I am always the first one to know any & all celebrity gossip. My Google Reader is full of Perezhilton, TMZ, etc. I also get emails from US Weekly. It is sad but I’m almost proud when I find out the news first & get to tell everyone. Maybe proud shouldn’t be the word…

6. I am an attorney…albeit an unemployed attorney. I am licensed in CA & NY. Anyone wanna give me a job?

7. I will drive 30 minutes to go to a Trader Joe’s even if another supermarket is only five minutes away. I just love TJ’s.

Swoon.

I have been meaning to write a My Favorites of Trader Joe’s post – & I will soon! I swear…I say that a lot. But I mean it this time!!

xoxoxo.

So now I get to nominate some other blogs for the award! I have a lot of blogs that I read but a few that have recently stuck out in my mind that I really love! I would nominate a ton but that just isn’t practical so I decided on 7 to stay with the 7 theme…(I know they may already be nominated but I still wanna pass on the love!)

Couch to Ironwoman

The Nut Kase

Sour as a Grapefruit

Runs on Greens

Runner in Denial

Howdy from New York City

A Healthy Happier Bear

Thanks to all those wonderful blogs who make my procrastination sooo much easier