by Joey | Feb 2, 2015 | Throwback
Before you click out of this post thinking it’s all about running…
it is
but it isn’t.
I promise I draw an important parallel that I think
is worth the quick read.
Let me first say, my comfort zone (and I’m using that term very loosely) was running 24 miles a month. Basically, I was comfortable running 2 miles 3 times a week. But even then, I’d find excuses not to do it. So when I made the goal to run 40 miles in a month…I don’t think I really thought it through.
And sometimes it’s important to do that. To make a goal from your heart, not from your mind. Some would argue that is irresponsible, and maybe so. But how will you know if you can really do something or not if you don’t give your body a chance to chase what’s in your heart?
Lawyered.
Or something like that.
(Please tell me you get that reference. And if not, you should really watch HIMYM)
If I failed, I would have been okay.
At least I tried.
I’d assess and regroup.
And set another goal for the next month.
But I didn’t fail. As of Friday afternoon, I officially ran 40.1 miles in the month of January. As I laced up my shoes and slipped on my gloves that afternoon, I didn’t want to go.
I pushed the thoughts outside my mind.
I finished gearing up, not allowing myself to think about each and every step.
But with one thought in mind:
how great it would feel to be done.
And off I went.
During those final 3.1 miles, I ran the gamut of emotions. But one thought was on repeat:
just keep going.
That was a thought on repeat most of January, honestly. Not just with running (though that thought was definitely a consistent companion during each and every run), but with everything.
Life has an epic way of continuing to surprise us, doesn’t it. And I’m not sure about you guys, but there are days I’d rather hide underneath the comforter and pretend not to exist. But you can’t always do that.
You have to just keep going. The fortunate thing when you keep going is eventually you end up somewhere different. Even if you’re moving without a set destination in mind, if you keep making the decision to put one foot in front of the other, despite what may have happened that day, you will get somewhere. It may not be where you set out to go–but it’s not where you were before.
And that’s the important thing.
Some days are going to be hard. Some are going to be easy. Some are going to be cold, or hot, or rainy, or miserable. Some days your knees (or head, or heart) are going to hurt. Some days you might have forgotten to wash your gear. Sometimes you might have to slow down. Or stop for a second to catch your breath. Sometimes people will pass you. Other times you might pass someone. Some days you’ll do better than you did before. Other days you’ll do worse for no apparent reason.
But at the end of the day, as long as you have a little faith in yourself, commit to your goal, and just keep going, you’ll get somewhere new.
Did you have a challenge for yourself in January? How’d you do?
What about for February, what are your goals for the month?
by Joey | Jan 29, 2015 | Throwback
++ I’m out in SC for the week visiting my bestie and her baby! Aside from my running, we’ve been going on walks every day. On Wednesday, we went downtown and did a 3 mile walk on a trail and it was absolutely gorgeous. However, while we were out, we found a suicidal goose. “I’ll jump I tell yah!. Just say something!”
++ I ran 4 miles for the first time on Tuesday, and I kind of thought I was going to die. It was also only my second run ever on a treadmill and I felt like a hamster! I definitely do better when I’m outside for some reason. But either way, I was proud of the 4 miler. Yes, I realize that’s not crazy far but for this homegirl who isn’t really a runner, it was a big deal 🙂
++ I downloaded Elizabeth Smart’s audiobook for my drive out here. It’s about a 4.5 hour drive, and the book has kept me pretty dang interested the whole time. I’m about halfway through it and will finish when I drive home. I’m always so interested in learning about how people cope when they’re held hostage. It’s terrifying, inspiring, and fascinating all at once. I’ll say this, people who survive that kind of stuff have a strength I’d never know.
++ I bought another Rimmel Provocalips because I’m that obsessed. This time I got I’ll call you. I haven’t had a chance to wear it yet because if I’m being honest, we haven’t worn real clothes or put makeup on all week. I mean, what do your girls’ weeks look like? #bums
++ The news this past week has been making me sick. This news story here is my cousin’s friends’ parents. As the results of the search were coming in, my heart just kept falling further into my stomach. There are sick, sick, SICK people in the world. (If you didn’t click on the link, the news story is about the couple who were murdered after putting an ad on craigslist for a car. The couple was my cousin’s friends’ parents). Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. It’s hard to accept that this world isn’t all bad in these kinds of situations.
Sorry to end things on such a downer, but that’s life, huh?
Now it’s your turn, friends.
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by Joey | Jan 28, 2015 | Throwback
For this post, you need to know a little backstory.
My grandfather died on 12/12 before I was born.
Because of that, my family sees 12s in almost all special things.
They just present themselves.
We take it as a little nudge from our loved ones who have passed.
Maybe we’re weird.
But that’s our thing.
I’m going to be painfully vague here, but if you’ve been hanging around my little corner of the web the last several months, you know that life has been testing me/us. J and I have been thrown some curve balls and, well, it’s left me a little lost and confused.
A lot of what I’m dealing with right now revolves around hope and patience. I made a commitment to myself to just honestly put all of this stress and worry on God. That’s not usually in my nature (I wish it were, but it’s just not), so it’s been a bit of a challenge for me. And I find myself navigating waters I’m not accustomed to.
And I have hope. A lot of hope. But I started to feel like my patience was running out. Why couldn’t God just answer us now. And then I started to worry that maybe my hope wasn’t good. Maybe my hope mean that I’m not completely trusting God. So I turned to my bible (again, unlike me) to see what it had to say about hope. I was nearing the end of my rope. I needed something anything to remind me that God’s Got This.
I found a few pieces of scripture that really spoke to me. All of which reassured me that it’s okay, and actually good, to have hope. And then one piece of scripture slapped me in the face. It couldn’t speak to me more if God himself wrote it down for me in this moment.
Rejoice in hope. Be patient in tribulation. Be constant in prayer.
And then my blood ran cold and my heart stopped.
Where is this scripture from?
Romans…12:12.
Point taken.
by Joey | Jan 27, 2015 | Throwback
Today I wanted to share with you some makeup that I wore out on Saturday night. The look was 100% drugstore, and I was so so impressed with how everything held up throughout the evening. Especially the lipstick.
J and I went out for date night (yay!) to a Draft House. We wanted to sit at the bar, but everything was full so we decided to play pool while we waited. Well, we were having so much fun that we just ordered a bunch of appetizers, some beer, and played the entire evening! And I have to let it be known that I won our first game and then proceeded to suck the rest of the night.
Anyway, we ordered a pitcher of beer, cheese fries, a chicken quesadilla, wings and regular fries (call me captain fatty, whatever, I really like french fries, ha). Anyway, I didn’t really care what my makeup was doing, and had pretty much made my peace with the fact that my lipstick probably looked all wonky from all the greasy food. It (Rimmel Provacolips) claimed to be long wearing (16 hours) but we’ve all heard that before.
Y’all. These pictures were taken (with horrible lighting in my tiny bathroom) at the end of the night just before I washed my face because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I didn’t touch up any of the makeup throughout the evening. And I have the oiliest skin known to man. I never blotted, reapplied, powdered, nothing. These aren’t the greatest pictures ever, but you’ll see what I’m talking about!
Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous $6.94
Rimmel Match Perfection $4.97
Rimmel Stay Matte Powder $3.97
NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer in Sunny: $2.99
Milani Blush in Luminoso: $7.49
Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio in Silent Treatment: $2.99
Jordana 12 hour Made To Last Eyeliner: $2.49
Wet n Wild Mascara: $2.99
Rimmel Provovalips 16 hour Kissproof Lip Color in Hearbreaker: $6.99
I want to talk about the lip product for a second. This is one of those dual ended products that you apply the color, let it dry, then you apply the “gloss.” We’re all familiar with that tight, sticky feeling that these types of products have.
This one doesn’t feel that way.
After everything set, I didn’t feel this stuff on my lips at all (which is a huge part of the reason I’d just assumed it rubbed off). My lips never felt dry or uncomfortable at all. The clear “gloss” feels much more like a moisturizing balm. It isn’t goopy or sticky, it’s incredibly comfortable!
I’ve never been more impressed with a lip product in my entire life. I intend to grab a few more of these. They’re brand new releases, but I’m under the impression they’re limited edition, so be sure to grab a few! I found them at Walgreens!
by Joey | Jan 26, 2015 | Throwback
Okay, so you’ve decided you want to change something.
You’ve accepted that you’re enough.
You’ve mapped out some goals.
And you’re committed.
Now what?
In order to set everything in motion, you have to get tired of the way things are. Not just annoyed with them, fed up. Even the smallest of changes take a serious amount of commitment, so I can assure you if you are complacent with how things are–you won’t be able to commit to the effort.
For instance, one of the smaller changes I made in my life was I quit soda in order to only drink water. The road blocks were: 1) I hated water and 2) I was addicted to soda.
I tried many times to quit cold turkey. The reality of it all was, I didn’t care. Everyone and their mother was telling me how awful soda was for me. They’d send me links to articles about what the acidity of the soda was doing to my insides. I didn’t care. Nothing was more important to me than that crisp, bubbly burn to the back of my throat that made my nose tingle and eyes water.
But if you’ve been around for a while, you’ll know that I used to suffer from frequent kidney infections. Not UTIs. Not bladder infections. Freaking kidney infections. The last one I had was a pretty serious one, and it scared the shit out of me.
So instead of focusing on quitting soda, I decided to commit to a certain number of ounces of water per day. If I met my ounce goal, I could still have soda. I just didn’t keep it in the house. Well, I was so busy (and full!) from drinking all the water, I didn’t have time to drink soda. And before I knew it, I’d go weeks, months without having a sip of soda. I started to feel better in so many different ways I couldn’t believe it. It’s been 2.5 years since my last kidney infection.
I like soda. And I still let myself have it sometimes. But on an every day basis, I drink 72 oz of water.
Quitting soda just wasn’t important to me. But drinking water became important to me when I realized I couldn’t keep going the way I was. The options were: make the change or pay horrible consequences.
I realize not all of the changes you might want or need to make in your life will be as cut and dry as that. But the truth still stands, if you’re okay with how things are, you won’t ever feel that fire to make the change. I hate to use the word desperation, but maybe I need to. If you aren’t desperate for something different, something more, something better, you’ll always be where you are.
Are you complacent with how things are right now?
Or are you desperate for a change?
Stay tuned for the next installment in this series next week!
