BIG Post and BIG News

Well Helllllooooooo there. (I'm saying this in my best Jerry Seinfeld voice. Remember that episode? Never. gets. old.)
What's shaking?

I have so much to catch you up on.
LOTS.

First, here's all the things I've found interesting on the internets the past few weeks:

• I've been on a HUGE decluttering kick.  This article had some great points.
• I've had situations where I feel burned out and this article on NOT multi-tasking made a lot of sense to me. Focus on the task at hand. Work is for work. Weekends are for weekends. :)
• I found these 100 tips about life on Twitter. I love 32, 58,68,98 and especially 66!
• I've posted an email from Relevant daily emails before, and like in the past- this one really stuck out to me:

"When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory."
 Psalm 73:21-24 NIV

 IN POP CULTURE, it’s cool to explore your spirituality, escape religion and search for God—it’s not cool to find Him. It’s definitely not cool to tell people once you do.
In a spiritual age that celebrates authenticity over assurance, it seems that questions are the new answers. Rather than embracing doubt as a vehicle to truth, the two have become nearly indistinguishable. Blessed assurance isn’t so blessed anymore.
For many, the temporary “dark night” of the soul is now a permanent reality. Rather than searching for truth, today’s postmodern climate finds truth in the very act of searching. There is an upside to this—questions are necessary to facilitate exploration. However, when the entire Christian faith is consumed by the deconstructive machine of postmodern culture, what’s left? For many of us, the answer is “not much.” My soul’s “dark night” nearly destroyed my personal faith. Pursuing authenticity was a goal in and of itself. Intellectual curiosity was what I aimed for, and I hit the target.
But I’ve discovered searching for a light switch is the best usage of a flashlight. Living in constant darkness just isn’t sustainable. Eventually, you simply run out of batteries. The means have to point to an end lest they become it.

I especially love the analogy of the light switch and the flashlight. Good 'food for thought' writing. I like reading things that speak to me.

• My friend Courtney sent me this article: 15 things you should give up in order to be happy. I think giving up my need to be right and giving up the past are the most freeing things I've accomplished in my life.
• This is a great list of things to STOP doing. It's career-orientated but can be applied to personal life too- spend time effectively and quit making excuses!

That's a lot of lists...but you know how I love a good list!

Speaking of lists, let's talk workouts.
I've fallen off the wagon recently.
I'm still working out, but it's not on a regular schedule and I'm having a heck of a time getting up in the morning and sticking to a regular routine. I know much of that is circumstantial to what's going on in my life right now, but still. It's annoying.
So here's what I've done in the past month or so (note* The ?s are because I can't remember what I did those days and most likely slept in instead):

3/19 Run 3.17 mi 28:48
3/20 KB?
3/21 Resistance? Run 6 mi 56:17
3/22 Run 3.3 30:33, Walk 1.08 mi with Rox
3/23 Resistance?
3/24 Walk 1.85 mi  with Rox 32:06
3/25 So this was the day of the St Patrick's Day run. My foot had been feeling sort of funky so I did a little run down the street and back to make sure it was good to go. If I had any pain, I was going to skip the race. Didn't want to cause any issues. It felt pretty good so I raced. My Garmin time was 6.31 in 57:55. It was a gun start (and I wasn't even too the line because I didn't know where it was) and there were no chips. My time from the website was 57:54. It was a 6 mile race...but obviously I went a little farther than 6 miles!
3/26 Resistance?
3/27 3.01 mi 28:04
3/28 Resistance?
3/29 Kickboxing?
3/30 Resistance?
3/31 Run 5.5mi 53:05
4/2 Resistance? Run 3.01 28:15
4/3 Kickboxing?
4/4 Resistance? 3.26 mi 33:31
4/5 Kickboxing? Walk 1.7 25:53, Run 2.09 mi 19:59
4/6 Resistance?
4/8 Run 3.42 mi 37:22
4/9 Resistance?
4/10 Kickboxing?
4/11 Resistance?
4/12 Kickboxing?
4/13 Resistance?
4/14 I was supposed to run Loop the Lake but I was nervous. My foot had been bothering me off and on so I took the whole week off of running but was afraid I would 'push' it since it was a race. Decided to test it out around home. Ran 5.76 mi in 53:46. I guess I could have raced after all... :)
4/16 Resistance and Run 4.14 mi 39:35
4/17 Kickboxing
4/18 REST
4/19 3.01 mi 27:11

So it's been interesting with my foot. I really backed off running to keep it rested for my HALF MARATHON race next week. To say I'm a little worried might be an understatement. I haven't ran over 6 miles since February. I plan on running 8 or 9 this weekend. I just need a mental boost. I know I can do it, but I definitely won't be PR'ing in TN. I am looking forward to checking out the race expo and all the stuff that a large race has to offer.

I head out to Nashville Wednesday to visit my aunt and Grandma and then race on Saturday. I'm looking forward to a little decompressing time!! Catching up on book club reading, blogs, working on my tan and just hanging out with family!
This past month has been filled with meetings, work, networking events, and packing. Yep, because I'm....

MOVING!!!!

And I'm SUPER DUPER OVERLY EXCITED ABOUT IT!!
I'm renting a loft in downtown Des Moines and leasing my house out to some friends.
The loft I'm moving too is a little smaller than my current place so I'm getting rid of a LOT of stuff. Mostly just random furniture and decorative items I had around to take up space. I've really looked at what I have and thought 'Does this thing make me happy? Do I use it regularly? Would I miss it if it was gone?' If the answer to any of those is 'No' it was put in the trash or garage sale pile.
And let me tell you- if you are honest with yourself about the amount of stuff you have just because you'll find you don't need 75% of it.

But back to the loft. :)
It's in a repurposed old building- concrete floors, exposed brick and vents, floor to ceiling windows, 2 blocks from church, T and Gray's Lake. I'm so stoked. Roxy and I have been walking every morning to get that part of our regular schedule. I think she'll like all the new people to meet and so many close parks.

I would have let you in on this information a little sooner, but things have been a little hectic. Timing for all this hasn't been the greatest. I have to be out of my place before my TN trip but I won't have the loft until the first weekend in May AND I'm getting the bathroom at the house remodeled too...so....it's a little chaotic. When I do have a spare minute to do anything...I just sit. Or sleep. Brain is FRIED.

But don't worry. I have so many things lined up to talk about: all the networking I've been doing through YPC Des Moines, the foods I've been trying and cooking, concerts, new ink work and T's birthday celebration!

Stay tuned...next post coming to you from downtown Des Moines!!

That's a big CHECK to the Life List.