Half Time.

After months of training, I did it – this past Sunday, I ran my first half marathon. Being that it was my very first time running 13.1 miles (the most I’d run up to that point was 10), I was nervous. My goal was to finish, running the whole time. I wasn’t too concerned with time. I just wanted to be able to say “I ran a half marathon” and have it be true. And so it is.

and i have the medal to prove it.

There are three things this experience has taught me:

1. It’s all about pacing yourself. I have a tendency to be a tad competitive, however in order to run a distance such as this, I realized I’m gonna have to let that go. People are always going to pass you. You are always going to pass people. Your goal and their goal are not the same goal. Focus on your goal, and don’t allow yourself to feel inferior because someone appears to be faster than you. You have no idea where they came from or where they’re going. Let them do their thing while you give your full attention to yours.

2. You can’t be great overnight. If I really think about it, I guess you could say I’ve actually been training since 2008, which was when I started running on a regular basis. Last year, I really picked up the pace though (literally) and when Jan 1st 2012 came around, I believed in my running (and training) ability enough that I decided a half marathon would be a New Year’s Resolution. I worked my butt off, folks. When I crossed that finish line, I cried. I’m not ashamed. Getting to that point took hours of hard work, intense training, and proper preparation. It takes all three of these in perfect harmony to run a marathon: and that principle can be applied to anything you really wish to achieve for yourself. You can do whatever you put your mind to, you just have to be willing to put in the work.

3. I will survive. As I was running along the Atlantic Ocean (yes, this marathon was at the beach!), “I Will Survive” came on my ipod. I did not have a pre-programmed “race playlist” – I like to let my ipod surprise me. Well, as the song played, and I ran and ran, I realized that no matter what happens, I really will survive. If I’m strong enough to run non-stop for 13.1 miles, I’m strong enough to stand on my own and do what’s best for me in other areas of my life; even if at first I’m afraid, and I’m petrified. I’ll hold my head up high.

I guess what I’m getting at here is that running a half marathon has changed my life. It taught me lessons I really needed to learn, such as patience, pacing, and doing what’s best for ME. I have had a recurring dream my whole life that tornadoes were chasing me; I refuse to ever dream that dream again.

I’ve finally decided my future lies beyond the Yellow Brick Road.

 

chocolate rain.

If you have never seen this video, you need to watch it, right now:

But that’s not what I’m here to write about. Today, I’d like to discuss my own personal “chocolate rain,” by which I mean that whenever it rains heavily, I want to sit at home and eat chocolate.

all for me.

It’s true, just the other day, it was pouring. I started to get hungry. I found a box of chocolates in the fridge (I usually have a couple of boxes around at any given time, for just such an occasion). I pulled out the box, sat down on the sofa in the sunroom (which is more like the rain room on days like that), opened the box, and just started biting. I say “biting” because I don’t finish any of the chocolates for the most part. I take a bite, and move on to something else. This eating habit transcends chocolates – it’s pretty much how I operate, which is one of the main reasons I started this whole “Small Indulgences” thing to begin with. I like variety. I like taking a small bite of something, then trying something else. I’m a dessert commitment phobe.

bite me.

I believe there are others out there just like me (I know my grandmom was one – she used to bite chocolates and put them back in the box), so I’m making it my goal to make one-bite chocolates. This way, one can eat more than one, not feel as bad, and still get the variety one seeks, without the commitment.

honey, i shrunk the chocolates.

PS: all the chocolates in the photos (with the exception of two which I purchased at Aunt Charlotte’s, the best chocolate shop ever) we made in a chocolates class I had, and thus can be recreated on demand. So, imagine them smaller, and yourself sampling them, and those rainy day blues will be gone before you know it.

 

a year in baking: the rises and falls.

So, its my last week of school for the spring session, and I realized that this marks my first official year of professional baking. I really can’t believe it’s been a year already. I remember back to last July, my first day of my first class, and what a nervous wreck I was – what do I do when I get there? Will I make friends? What if I don’t know what I’m doing? As I think back on these very normal first-day-of-school fears, I chuckle to myself that I could have ever possibly questioned any of those things. Not only have I met a ton of great people and made some great new friends, I know what I’m doing, and I do it  well, thank you.  

my very first school project.

I will say this, even though it’s been said thousands and thousands of times – I don’t know where the time went. It seems like just yesterday, no kidding. At the same time, so much has changed since then, that it seems like it could not have possibly been only a year ago. Time is relative, as they say.

Time, as in "Morris Day and the,"

so, as I reflect over what I’ve accomplished this past year, I have to say, I’m damn proud of myself. I went back to school and was a great student. I worked my full time job, and even worked a part time job on Sundays now and then. I had a social life, to boot. Sure, there were tough times -  some of the toughest in my life, for sure.  The truth is, you really can accomplish whatever you decide to. You just have to have the cahonies to step up and decide. And whatever hits you along the way, can only make you stronger (if it doesn’t kill you, that is.)

a year later - i'd say i've learned a little something.

In closing, I just want to say that I’m not posting this to brag about myself, although there’s nothing wrong with being proud of what you’ve done and especially what you’ve learned. I’m posting this as a reminder to everyone who reads it that nothing is impossible. Nothing can keep you down - if you believe in yourself. And no matter what happens along the way, YOU WILL SURVIVE – and be better for having experienced it.

 

2011 is the year of the small indulgence.

Happy New Year! it’s that time again – time to set goals, make resolutions, and come up with a plan for what you’d like to gain (or lose) over the next year. If you’re anything like me, you’re always looking for ways to cut back on spending, eat a little healthier, and try something new. If any of these are on your list this year – look no further! A small indulgence meets not one, not two, but all three of those goals! You can have your favorite dessert without breaking the bank or your belt. Plus you can sample many new desserts without worry – a small indulgence is a few bites at most, so if you don’t like it, no biggie – try something else instead!  That’s right folks, you heard it here first – 2011 is the year of the small indulgence, so get out there, and start sampling without fear!

small and sweet, and ready to eat.