The Return of WDW Marathon Races!

July 1, 2021

RunDisney finally announced the return of in person races this morning! They are returning this fall with the annual Wine & Dine races, along with the January Marathon Weekend and the Princess Half in February. All dates, registration dates and information were all released as well.

I decided I’m going to do it. I’m finally going to bite the bullet and do the Dopey Challenge. It’s now or never. And then continue on with my February tradition of Princess races with Kerri. I am so excited to have these events back that I don’t even care how expensive next year is going to be. I’m in a YOLO mood and want to take every opportunity given to me to complete these goals! It’s crazy because a few years ago I would have never had the courage to take on a full marathon, let alone the Dopey challenge.

A Dopey challenge is a 5k, 10k, half marathon and a full marathon back to back over 4 days for a total of 48.6 miles. It’s Disney’s ultimate race challenge because well, you’d have to be Dopey to do it! I used to think this was insane and that those who wanted to do it and willingly signed up for these things were insane. What are you trying to prove to people? Why would you want to run that much? Do you want to die? What is WRONG with you?

And well, it’s 2021 and here I am. SIGN. ME. UP.

I can’t explain it. Running is something I hate and have grown to absolutely love and enjoy at the same time. I complain about it every time before I have to go out there and do the deed but I come back every time feeling accomplished. And a Disney race is truly like no other. Nothing compares to these in person races. Running through my neighborhood is just not the same and I learned this past year virtuals are NOT my thing. ALTHOUGH! For those interested in obtaining the medals without the extra cost of a Disney vacation, this is the first time they are also allowing a virtual option along with the in person races! I don’t know if this will continue in the years after so I would take advantage of it if you’re really interested. But back to my main point. I can’t wait to run through the parks, feel the energy all around me, hear the roar of the crowd cheering everyone on, and cross that finish line once more for the highest high I’ve ever felt in my life. The minute you run across it, can not be replicated by anything else. And no one can take it away from you. I can’t wait to crush another goal. I’ll be honest, I’m absolutely terrified of how hard this is going to be, but I know with everything I take on, I ultimately buckle down and give it my all to meet that goal.

I mean, once upon a time, I used to be terrified of the Princess Fairy Tale Challenge but I did it and here I am taking it on again, this time more confident than ever! And EXCUSE ME, did I mention this year they have a new event for the Princess weekend?!?! Sunrise yoga in front of the castle! EXCUSE THE HELL OUT OF ME, SIGN ME UP PLEASE. I went from barely being able to run one block in my neighborhood, barely being able to lift weights to gym rat and obsessed runner. It’s crazy. I always say 2018 me does not know this version of me, lol. It’s crazy how much I’ve changed and grown in the course of a few years.

Before Disney races were announced, if you read my last post, I WAS working on training for the September 19 marathon I had put as a goal for myself. I’m still on the fence as to whether I want to go through with it now that Disney races are back on and had til June 30th to sign up for the Sept 19 race before prices went up. Unfortunately I forgot to sign up today before the cutoff point. Good and bad, this next registration period’s cutoff date is Sept 15th. So I can continue to train with regards to how the summer temps will play out and decide closer to the date if I still want to go through with this or forgo this goal and make Disney the ultimate first marathon along with the challenge. A few runner friends have encouraged I continue with the Sept 19 race to help have a base to build upon for Dopey and honestly it’s a good idea. I just don’t know if the summer will be too hot to train in and if I’m willing to put in that work. But so far for the month of June, I did a long run every Friday and went from 13 miles the first week and added a mile every week for a current progress of 16 miles ran last Friday. It was definitely difficult, I’m not going to lie. But I woke up every Friday morning determined to get it done, no matter how many breaks it took, how many loops around the neighborhood for a water break, and the mental gymnastics to continue on when it felt really hard. The Sept 19 deadline is definitely an aggressive training schedule compared to the Jeff Galloway training schedule which just started this week and is a lot less grueling and much more doable. And this week has been harder than the past month for training because we’re going through a heat wave. I haven’t been able to train properly on schedule this week like the past few weeks so it’s been challenging to say the least. But then again, life is about challenging ourselves sometimes and seeing what we can do, right? So let’s see what the summer will bring and give it a fair shot.

I know I’m mostly afraid because it’s simply something I haven’t done before so my fear is just fear of failure. It’s also because running outside of 13.1 miles is pushing myself out of my current comfort zone. But these few weeks, going from 13.1 to 14, to 15, to 16 miles, I found every week to be excruciatingly hard but also ultimately doable as I pushed myself each week to go beyond the last week and be better than who I was yesterday, yesterweek, yestermonth, yesteryear. But I’m also learning to accept that failure is not the end. Whether or not I finish these challenges - which I really do hope I do and I really plan to work hard to ultimately crush these challenge- I know it’s about the journey more than the end goal. It’s about the experience, the training, the pushing the mental part of my brain to work harder than ever to KNOW I can do this. And even if I do fail, it’s not going to stop me from ultimately trying again until the deed is done. I mean, that’s what life is, right? Trial and error until we get it right.

SO. The race is on. I already have some new ideas for race bounds and park bounds. Let’s go earn these medals in style, bitches!

I have both the Jan and Feb trips for next year booked, thanks to my travel agent Jill of Never Grow Up Vacations. I know I’ve recommended her several times on my blog but I can not recommend her enough. Every one of my friends and family members who have booked their trip through her has never went back to booking their own trips ever again because of how well she handles everything and literally takes care of every little thing you need, and all services are free of charge!

#21DayTone Blogilates Challenge

January 24, 2021

I stumbled upon Blogilates sometime in the past year on Instagram through their algorithm suggesting me more fitness accounts as I strayed away from cosplay and more towards health and fitness. I clicked on follow cause her pages were cute but didn’t know much about her brand. I learned more when she came out with 90 day challenge/365 day post about all the harsh criticism and controversial hate she received when first started the challenge.

It resonated with me because I received similar discouragement when I first decided to lose weight, get healthy and start running. I was told a lot of negative things, which I thought were really ridiculous. While some may have been well-intentioned like the whole “you don’t need to lose weight, you look fine!” and the “running is bad for your toes, they’ll fall off!” , ultimately the decision is up to me on what I choose to do with my body and how I want it to look, whether it be out of vanity, aesthetics or simply overall physical and mental heath. People trying to give you unsolicited input on what they think you should do with YOUR life and body, especially when you’re trying to better yourself, is a lot of horse shit. If you want to try something new, do it. Don’t get discouraged by someone telling you you shouldn’t or that you can’t. Do it twice and take pictures. It doesn’t matter how someone else thinks and feels about YOUR body. It matters that YOU yourself are comfortable in your own skin. (And just a disclaimer here, I’m talking about healthy, sustainable habits, not eating disorders or unhealthy toxic things people doe in the fitness world. For these issues, please seek professional help.)

Back to the point though. Her original post was about how she wanted to change her own eating habits to something more sustainable and tone her body even further than what it already was. She was already thin to begin with and that’s where all the hate came flooding in, accusing her of not being body positive and causing harmful body image. I hate this because I also am considered thin by the general population but in my own skin, I always feel like there’s room for improvement. I’m not looking to lose a lot of weight but I do prefer to be leaner. I just want to eat without looking like I had 3 thanksgivings, okay?!!? And her before and after photos of that challenge were amazing! They weren’t a dramatic change like you see in the heavier weight loss photos but it’s what I deal with on the yo-yo-ing of my own weight. I struggle with trying to maintain my weight at a constant number because it’s very prone to bloat with what I eat. Luckily the holidays are over and I can get back to a regular routine.

Which brings me to my next point. I took her #21daytone challenge she promoted for the new year. I did this for a few reasons. First, I was getting bored with the gym. Despite finally being able to go back to the gym in September because they reopened, I’ve been finding it rather monotonous and not as exciting as it used to be. I needed to switch things up. I needed a change of pace. Secondly, she was promoting her new Target line and this #21daytone was a really freaking smart way of getting people to try new things for free and then ultimately buy her line because she makes them look so fun and cute in her videos. I got suckered into it. Her marketing worked on me. As a person who’s usually skeptical of a lot of fitness subscription things and spending more money, to me, this was a risk-free and cost-free way to try out her workouts. And it was 21 days! I always feel like a 7 day trial is too short to figure out if you like anything so 21 days was perfect. And she sells it so perfectly. 21 minutes for 21 days. Come on!

The app ended up being free to download and the #21daytone challenge was free to access and do. And even if you didn’t want to download the app, the calendar is free to print off her blog and all the videos are available on Youtube, you just have to search them. The app just makes it easier to access with it being all in one place and it tracks your progress and tells how percentage completion and everything. She talks about check marks in every video and something about it, man, those check marks DO feel really freaking good when you finish a workout. I was really able to get behind all this as I was looking for something new and fun to try. And I did say for the new year I wanted to explore new areas of fitness.

And I ended up really freaking loving this challenge. The funny thing is when her Target line first came out, I didn’t plan on buying much because I didn’t feel like the colors fit my aesthetic that much as I’m usually a strictly bright pink girl. But as the workouts went on, every video with her using her equipment sold me more and more. So I ended up picking up quite a few pieces. And I’ve loved them so far. The only thing I didn’t pick up was weights because I thought my 5 pound ones at home would do and hers are honestly quite pricey. But god those gold weights are beautiful. When I finally decided okay, let’s do it, the joke was on me because her marketing strategy worked on everyone doing the challenge. Her entire collection was selling out of stores all over America.

But enough of how I got suckered into her genius marketing ploys.

Today marks the completion of the challenge! Spoilers, I made it through all 21 days! The physical changes in me were minimal, the before pic was due to holiday eating bloat. But the weight on the scale has remained the same. I started at 122 pounds and I’m honestly still at 122, but the photos look different. I got rid of my water weight from eating all the processed, high sugar, high sodium foods during the holiday season and got back to my regular sustainable diet of high protein, complex carbs and lots and lots of water.

So my review:

This was an easy program to follow and understand but is also by no means too easy. It’s user-friendly but the workouts are still definitely challenging. But not enough to intimidate you so if you’re worried about not making it all the way through, don’t. It’s not that terrible. I found it a lot of fun to do and actually surprised myself week to week, as the exercises I used to hate and dread became more doable and more tolerable and actually fun as my endurance, stamina and strength progressed. I learned that I prefer compound exercises to isolation ones. I loved cardio ones and the “all-in-one” workouts. It’s funny because a lot of these reminded me of the Insanity program but not as intense and grueling. It ended up making me actually enjoy home workouts more. I really wish this had been around during the initial lockdown last year. It would have helped me a lot when I was struggling to find my footing with home workouts when gyms were closed. A lot of the moves I was doing then were similar to these workouts too, but I enjoyed that the videos had a timer and you had to push through and not allowed a lot of breaks. It forces you to finish the workout. On my own, I take a lot of breaks and get distracted. Through the #21daytone challenge, I spent my entire time doing the workout and no time scrolling through my phone on rest breaks. That’s probably another thing I need to learn to do. To put my phone down and just do the damn workout. I find it easier to do when I IG live my workouts too because it hold me accountable to finishing the workout, as well as prevent me from scrolling cause well, it’s recording, lol. I physically can’t use my phone. I also loves that she talks to you throughout the workout so it doesn’t feel like you’re just counting down the seconds til it’s over. I feel engaged and immersed in the workout.

I also realized I look forward to my workouts more when I have everything down planned. Instead of going to the gym and just picking a random muscle group to work out and go through the motions for that day, I find it really helpful for me when I pick out my outfit the night before, go over the next day’s workout plan before bed, make a list of goals and check them off throughout the day as I go. Oh yeah, and a really cute outfit really goes a long way. It sounds stupid but it’s really motivational when you look and feel on point. During this challenge, I ended up buying two cute new outfits to match with her Target line aesthetics because I have issues. But it made me really look forward to working out because I really wanted to wear that outfit! Seriously something as little as that will change your whole mood. I also realized I have a lot more workout clothes than I realized, hahaha. When I started in 2018, I was rotating through only a few outfits and doing laundry often. Now I have enough to go through a 21 day program without repeating outfits. Someone please help.

Another pro of this program, although accidental, was that it forced me to give myself rest in between my gym lifting sessions. This was simply because since I am a late riser, I can’t always fit a Blogilates workout, my running and my gym session all-in-one before I have to get to work. And in doing so, it’s actually been improving my lifting, it seems. Maybe because my muscles were finally get a break in between soul crushing sessions, lol. I finally went up in weights on both the leg press and my deadlifts and crushed it! This was really exciting the other day because I was feeling stuck in a plateau for a little bit. The cross training seemed to have really helped. I’m excited to see progress already showing this early in 2021.

And one last thing I learned from this program! It really helps working out with others, even if virtually! I had a group of girls do this challenge with me and I really absolutely LOVED seeing everyone tag me daily as they checked off their workouts. It’s crazy. Watching someone else win really motivates you to do it too and it really has a ripple effect in wanting to encourage other people to win too. I had my morning workout people tag me before I did mine and it pushed me to get up and get it done. And then after that, I would check in throughout the day with my other girls who worked out later. And at the end of the day, I would try to check in with any one last minute to make sure they made time to get their workout in or made a plan to get back on track the next day. I really loved this team of support and accountability. I hope to continue growing and building my community of workout buddies because I really enjoyed engaging with everyone who participated in this challenge with me.

I hope Cassey from Blogilates does more challenges like this throughout the year. For now, I’m going to finish out her January calendar and continue on with her workouts as I’m loving them so far. She even has a 30 days to splits routine! That’s on my goals list so that challenge will definitely help if I can conquer it.

These past 3 weeks taught me a lot. I learned there is so much little things you can do that add up to make a BIG difference in your day. I’m going to start journaling again because Cassey is definitely onto something about those damn checkmarks. And new workout gear! It really motivates you to work out when you’re feeling your outfit and you’re excited to try out a new yoga mat, bands, straps, socks, masssage ball, whatever! Sometimes trying new things is scary because change is scary but sometimes it can also be eye-opening and a lot of fun. I found that workouts that I hated in the first week, I ended up enjoying later on when I saw progress in between weeks! And social media! Sometimes social media can be harmful and toxic to making you feel inadequate and insecure when you compare yourself against other beauty and fitness standards. But sometimes it can also be an extremely powerful tool if you let go of that and use it instead to build a community of like-minded people working towards common goals of health and sharing experiences. I just can not stress enough how much I enjoyed checking in with other girls, tagging each other, resharing stories. It’s really uplifting, empowering and motivating. That domino effect, y’all.

This year, I really want to focus on other fitness goals instead of being fixated on a number on the scale. I want to get more flexible, further my running endurance/stamina and distance beyond 13.1 miles, finally do an unassisted pull-up, possibly take a ballet/dance class and most of all, continue building upon this community of workout buddies.

I need to remind myself that my body does A LOT for me and I need to start valuing it for what it can do, and that it is NOT just a number on a scale. My body’s worth is not and should not be based on a single statistic of body weight. It is incredibly capable of a lot more.

Goals for 2020 & 2021

January 6, 2021

GOALS FOR 2020

D̶i̶s̶n̶e̶y̶ ̶P̶r̶i̶n̶c̶e̶s̶s̶ ̶F̶a̶i̶r̶y̶t̶a̶l̶e̶ ̶C̶h̶a̶l̶l̶e̶n̶g̶e̶:̶ ̶5̶k̶/̶1̶0̶k̶/̶H̶a̶l̶f̶ ̶b̶a̶c̶k̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶b̶a̶c̶k̶
- Last year I was the little engine that could. I was nervous as all hell for the longest time, doubting myself, scared of failure. But I did it and I came out stronger than ever. I even survived full days at Disney along with running the races. I even gained the confidence and courage to finally take on a full marathon. Whenever live races are on again. This was my favorite big accomplishment last year and this was one of my favorite Disney trips to date, being able to experience it with my friends and family.
C̶U̶C̶B̶ ̶1̶0̶ ̶m̶i̶l̶e̶r̶
- I was really looking forward to this, despite being scared that it would be my first solo race. And then covid hit and it turned virtual. This became my first virtual race (I would later sign up for the Disney summer virtuals, a series of 3 5k races). I ran it on my own around my neighborhood and realized I would have PR’d for a qualifying time for Disney races had it not been virtual. I’m upset but I’m also glad I now know I can definitely run a half in under 2:30.
Disney goals: E̶m̶p̶t̶y̶ ̶M̶a̶i̶n̶ ̶S̶t̶r̶e̶e̶t̶ ̶p̶h̶o̶t̶o̶, 4 park challenge
- The 4 park challenge is definitely difficult with a big group so I wasn’t able to do it in on my February trip, and then the parks closed in March due to the pandemic and when they reopened, park hoppers were suspended. So this goal has been put on hold for the time being. The empty Main Street photo was achieved in October due to having a late dining reservation and the parks closing earlier than usual due to pandemic hours. As much as I shoot around Disney, I still feel like it’s not enough, hahaha.
Learn the basics of my camera already.
- Listen. I’m totally trash. I kept saying this over and over and then just kept putting it off. I did try before my October trip, but then got distracted and relied on the husband again to take my photos. But I know that when I buckle down and really lock myself in a room and force myself to do it, I’ll do it.
Wear more green.
- I was on hiatus from March to June due to the pandemic and when shoots started up again, I was working on ideas but totally forgot about this color goal. I do want to carry this over in 2021 since my hair color has changed and I do need to work on finding a new color palette that complements the new hair.
Work on upper body strength to be able to handle/pull up my own body weight: chin-ups, pull-ups, push-ups, dips, p̶l̶a̶n̶k̶s̶.̶ ̶W̶o̶r̶k̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶f̶l̶e̶x̶i̶b̶i̶l̶i̶t̶y̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶a̶b̶l̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶d̶o̶ ̶a̶ ̶s̶p̶l̶i̶t̶.̶ ̶
- With gyms closed from March to Sept, I put this on the back burner as I was doing alternative workouts I could figure out to do at home. My push-ups have improved after doing Insanity. And my planks have been remaining strong at 2 minutes and 30 seconds so I’m really proud of that. I’ve also been working on my splits lately because I wanted to get better at stretching and warming up before workouts. I’m hoping to incorporate more yoga and pilates into my workouts this year and trying new things so hopefully we can continue working on this as well.
Find new places to shoot that I haven’t shot before yet.
- LOL last year I said I worried about it getting monotonous and boring that I keep shooting at the same flower fields and places every year. Well jokes on me, because 2020 covid said hold my beer. Even my regular go to places became hard to shoot at and I ended up learning to be grateful for those same places. I did end up exploring more nooks and crannies in NYC because we were all grounded due to travel restrictions, limited access, early closing hours and curfews.
W̶o̶r̶k̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶a̶ ̶b̶a̶l̶a̶n̶c̶e̶d̶ ̶r̶e̶l̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶s̶h̶i̶p̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶f̶o̶o̶d̶.̶ Wean myself off checking the scale obsessively.
- I do honestly believe I spent this year making good decisions foodwise. Like I purposely chose to eat healthier not because I was trying to ‘lose’ anything but just to be healthy period. I ate ‘normal’ every now and then absolutely but in moderation and I knew when to dial back and reign it in. But on the regular, I meal prepped and chose whole and clean foods, ate less processed and obviously ate out MUCH less due to the pandemic. I tried to keep my protein up as much as possible, and low fat and low carb. My sugar intake is at an all time low. I don’t crave it. I ate the least amount of ice cream this year simply because of the pandemic cutting down on my foodie gram tours. As for the scale, I still unfortunately do that obsessively. And unfortuately my weight did go up since the pandemic. BUT! When I was going back and reviewing photos to compile for a year in review of 2020, I realized something. Despite the numbers on the scale not saying what I want it to say and increasing in number, I actually look better than I did when I was at these numbers years ago. So what I need to unlearn is that the ONE number my scale displays is just that. It’s ONE number. It doesn’t show the bigger picture of my body composition. I may be heavier because my lean muscle mass is increasing. Because I’m heavier on the scale but definitely not in photos. My core definition is a big difference at 120 lbs now vs where it was in 2018 when I was 120. I do feel my legs have gotten thicker though. But I feel that’s my own fault as I try to focus more on legs when I work out, to strengthen my running. I need to find the balance to lean them out again.
C̶l̶o̶s̶e̶t̶ ̶m̶a̶k̶e̶o̶v̶e̶r̶.̶ ̶G̶e̶t̶ ̶r̶i̶d̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶c̶o̶s̶p̶l̶a̶y̶,̶ ̶d̶o̶w̶n̶s̶i̶z̶e̶ ̶f̶u̶r̶t̶h̶e̶r̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶c̶l̶o̶t̶h̶e̶s̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶i̶t̶e̶m̶s̶ ̶I̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶n̶’̶t̶ ̶u̶s̶e̶d̶/̶w̶o̶r̶n̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶p̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶5̶ ̶y̶e̶a̶r̶s̶.̶ ̶
- Honestly this is still a work in progress. I couldn’t sell a lot of cosplays due to the pandemic shutting down cons and thus the demand for costumes were deadened. BUT! I did sell a lot of my Bonne Chance dresses I was trying to get rid of. I did a big closet overhaul of clothes and makeup. I gave it away to coworkers and donated the rest. I still want to get rid of more in 2021 to make room for new stuff.
C̶u̶t̶ ̶d̶o̶w̶n̶ ̶c̶r̶e̶d̶i̶t̶ ̶c̶a̶r̶d̶ ̶d̶e̶b̶t̶.̶ Hopefully get rid of it and get back to a clean slate by the end of 2020.
- I wasn’t able to get back to a clean slate, but I’m getting there! Since travel was cut down a lot and I wasn’t adventuring and dining in the city or out at all like I normally do, I did save a lot of money by not buying new clothes as often as I used to, or dining out as much as I used to. I’m hoping in 3-4 months time, I’ll finally be back to a clean slate of a zero balance on my credit card and then I can focus on my student loan debt. Since 2021 is going to be more of what 2020 was as we try to get a control on this virus, I think it’s safe to say, I should be able to buckle down and get this done.

GOALS FOR 2021

Work on finishing the house. Finish the bedroom, the spare room, get a real dining room table set.
- This is part of a bigger topic my husband and I talked about late last year when races were cancelled and I was left alone to my thoughts and felt like the life I wanted and was working on was being forced on hold, and I would have to grow up faster than I wanted to. I felt a lot of pressure. It was a long discussion but in the end, we realized we should focus on finishing our house and making a house a home first. It’s something we have to work on anyway before taking on any more big financial curveballs.
Work on a brand new portfolio.
- If I’m being honest, I am still not comfortable with my new hair color. I miss the blonde immensely. I don’t miss the upkeep, the dry damaged strands and everything else, but I really miss how I looked blonde. It was me. But I also don’t want it to be me anymore. I want to like the dark color on me, but I’ve yet to feel like it’s me. I don’t regret doing it because honestly it was time. But I still feel uncomfortable in this skin. But I think it’s also because I haven’t found my footing with it. I have yet to nail “the look” with it. With my blonde I know what worked hair and makeup wise. With the dark hair, I have to adjust to it and hone in to what my strong points with it are so I can own it. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and even with the blonde it took time before I came into a strong look with it so I know I should be patient as I play around with various looks and styles.
Disney goals: Mickey balloons and more Disney bounds
- In place of cosplay, I’ve been loving the Disney bounds I’ve put together in my past trips. I especially love that I can wear some of it in my regular day to day outfits, and some of the accessories fit for non Disney shoots as well. Possible future bound ideas for future visits: Dapper Dan, Beast, Gaston, Vanessa, Belle, Jasmine, Maleficent, Megara, Esmeralda, Jane (Tarzan), Mary Poppins. Yes I know this is a pattern of brunette characters as I really do hate wearing wigs.
- For the balloons, I have two different goals. I want to buy a rainbow bouquet of them to shoot with, and then give away to various guests throughout the park and make their day. I hunted down the Halloween Mickey balloon this year and at the end of the night, this little baby boy wanted it and I gave it away and he was the most precious thing ever. Stuff like that makes me believe in the magic. Secondly, I want to take a few Mickey balloons home. This would require a road trip to Disney as it would be rather difficult to get back home on a plane without disturbing other passengers. I’m hoping we can road trip it this May.
Perfect a no-makeup makeup look.
- With the pandemic mask wearing, I’ve been wearing less and less makeup. Which I do enjoy sometimes, but sometimes I really miss doing a whole ass look, okay?!?! I love makeup. But since it’s a waste to put on only to have it covered by a mask, I’ve since been skipping some steps like foundation, blush, highlighter and lipstick. For work, I just do eyes now, but I would love to figure out a minimal eyeliner/nice lash look. Unfortunately this Asian is not blessed with nice, long, natural lashes. I have like 8 lashes on each eye and they all hate me. I tried out magnetic lashes but I didn’t find they last long enough for their convenience. I thought about lash extensions but I really hate how they look if you don’t maintain them well; aka those girls that look spidey vein-y when they should have went in for a fill 2 weeks ago but are really pushing it. I don’t know if I’m ready for that kind of commitment. Plus I worry about them damaging my already hanging on by a thread lashes. I am curious about micro-blading so I can stop drawing on my eyebrows daily. But ultimately I do want to perfect an effortless, everyday, simple look.
Try new workouts. Look for more new running trails. Go on more walks with the husband.
- This is why I’m doing the #21DayTone Blogilates challenge if you’ve been keeping up with my IG stories. But I’ll make a separate blog about this once the challenge is over. While I still do love lifting weights, it does feel monotonous sometimes. There’s only so much of the same old picking things up and putting them down before it gets boring and you’re just doing it to get through the motions. The good news is this resolution is not to simply “continue working out” because at this point, it’s built into my daily routine due to laying down good habits a few years ago. At this point, the resolution is to not be stubborn in refusing to try new things. I am definitely one afraid of change sometimes because if something’s not broken, why fix it, but at the same time, I do feel like I’m plateauing in some areas and I do want to change things up and need a change of pace as well. I’m curious as to other running trails available on Long Island. I also want to dedicate a day to running the entirety of Central Park. I also want to run through the Cherry Blossoms despite the Cherry Blossom run not being held this year. Maybe I’ll make a trip to DC in the spring and run it with Kerri on our own. The walks with my husband I started last year as a cooldown to my runs and I really do enjoy them as we use it as a time away from our phones to simply get some steps in and catch up and talk about whatever, without the distraction of technology. I want to make these more regular.
Take dance or pole lessons to work on my flexibility.
- I’m going to be real honest and terrible here. I just want to be flexible enough to do the 34+35 split and twerk because that shit was impressive and that clip lives in my head rent free on loop. I think Ariana Grande is a little hoe but you can’t help but say the girl’s got some bops and she does some cute shit sometimes despite being such a hoe, lol. I also love watching my friend Marianne dance on her pole in her apartment in her stories and I wish I could swing around a pole that smoothly and flawlessly. It would also help work on my really shitty core and balance.
LEARN MY DAMN CAMERA ALREADY.
- I’m not even going to talk about this anymore.
Read one book a month. Finish a damn series if I start it on Netflix or whatever streaming service I’m using.
- I need to stop starting and then forgetting to finish shit because I got distracted by something else. I also want to start reading more again. Send book suggestions. Nothing too heavy though.
Be more organized.
- I used to make lists. I need to do that again. 2020 is like…the lost year. I lost momentum a little bit with my goals, making to-do check lists, lists of ideas and inspiration, etc. I need to figure out an organization system instead of trying to rely too much on memory and then remembering to do something last minute or worse, too late. I used to keep better track of my workouts too. I used to write it all down, my nutrition, everything. I want to get back to that. I need order in my life. Admittedly, that’s when I get the most done and feel the most productive, as well as successful. I want to keep track of everything better again. I also need to organize my closet better to keep it tidy easier. I hate cleaning it once every so often only to have to do it again soon. I need to stay organized. I need to form better habits in this area to de-clutter my life as well.
Get rid of all credit card debt by the end of this year. Go back to being able to pay bills in full.
- I got into this mess when my husband was transitioning careers and I had to carry the household for a bit and I was in over my head because I still wanted to go on nice vacations, blow money on cosplay, and buy stupid nice shit for myself instead of being a responsible adult and living within my means because YOLO. In retrospect, I don’t regret the travelling but I definitely wasted my time on cosplay. If I could go back in time, I would definitely tell that idiot you don’t need to bring a new cosplay for each day at the con. And you definitely don’t need to waste your time perfecting each damn cosplay.

reflection on 2020

I met this girl @alex_andrya on IG earlier last year at the Princess races. She told me she started following me a few years ago when I first started my running and fitness goals. She’s an amazing girl who battled through covid working at her hospital, working long hours, strenuous conditions without proper PPE, saving patient lives every day. And when she wasn’t doing that, she was out there being active in every sense of the word. She does runs through blizzards! She showed up for civil rights protests. She bikes regularly. She does so much on top of trying to keep up to date with every little and big change 2020 threw at us. Her 2020 post had me feeling inspired to write my own.

2020 was the year I ran the Disney Princess Fairytale challenge! A year ago today, I was deathly terrified of this, anxious that I had signed up for something that was way over my head. I really worried of coming back in shame not being able to run a 5k, 10k and a half marathon back to back over 3 days. I thought it was impossible. But instead I conquered it, came out strong and with new courage to finally set my next goal to conquer for a FULL marathon. I still can't believe I did that. I know I keep repeating this but seriously this was a HUGE thing for me that I’m just really proud of because years ago I would have thought this was impossible. And not only that, I did it with one of my best friends by my side! And my sisters all completing their first ever 5k with me! This was one of my favorite highlights that 2020 can never dim for me. I also was fortunate enough to visit Disney twice this year. In having to watch all my races get cancelled one by one after the lockdown began, at first I was frustrated, angry, then sad that everything was getting taken away as time dragged on and there was no end in sight. But then it made me realize how incredibly fortunate I was to experience my February races before this happened. And despite Disney being a different world with mask and social distancing rules when they reopened later in the year, my October trip was still a great time. I turned 32 and I'm not even mad about it because I got to celebrate it at the happiest place in the world.

2020 was the year I truly learned to hone in on my discipline. I surprised myself and somehow still made time to work out everyday despite gyms being closed. I refused to use the pandemic as an excuse. My husband cleared a space in the house and built me a small home gym. I made time for it, day or night, no excuses. I did a full 63 day Insanity program and forced it into my schedule even when we went away for a few days upstate. I really learned to make my health and fitness a priority. The old me would have made excuses, no lie. But the current me went out and continued being active literally every day, whether it was looking for new running trails, home workouts, walking to get steps in, biking, whatever. I scheduled it into everyday, rain, snow or shine, whether I was away from home on vacation or whatever. Looking back I ate more healthy overall and more consistently. So my relationship with food is overall improving. Despite my current feelings last week of feeling "lost" in my routine and direction, I have to give myself credit for still working through it. This entire year I've kept true to my word in maintaining an active lifestyle. That is HUGE to be able to say this is now a lifestyle, not just a phase.

2020 was also the year I became a superhero. Despite the burdens that this pandemic placed on the shoulders of healthcare professionals, I went into work everyday which sounds stupid because duh you're supposed to show up for work, but it really is a big deal in the face of the pandemic is just show up. We had a huge staff shortage in the hospital from some falling sick to the virus itself and being out for weeks to months and when they recovered, they were still in a weakened state, still not able to breathe normally. We unfortunately even lost some of our best staff to this unpredictable virus, as it ravaged on and took a lot of young, healthy lives too soon. We lost our best nurses. And then we had some staff that simply refused to show up because fear. So yes. Showing up to work is a BIG deal. Showing up to work means another patient can receive the care they need on time. It means the patient's labs, drug interactions and interventions can be given the attention they need to make sure every individual patient's med chart gets adjusted to the right dose, right drug, at the right time. So no. Pharmacy doesn't ever just "slap a label on it" despite what you think they do as the gremlins of healthcare. There is more going on behind the scenes than you think. We all learned to work faster and more efficiently, learning to batch IVs as fast as we could with as little resources as we had due for the drug shortages and backorders going on nationwide. I'm scarred from the first lockdown making a million IV bags per shift of midazolam, fentanyl, Precedex, vasopressin, phenylephrine, norepinephrine before we even get to the virus specific meds.

Despite 2020 being what it was, I also refuse to throw in the towel and say it was a horrible year. It was hard, it was uncomfortable, it was long. Everything about hit different than ever before. But when you're forced out of your comfort zone, that is when growth happens. And looking back, hindsight truly is 20/20. I thought I didn't do anything this year. But in reality I did SO MUCH.

And for 2021, I’m cautious but ready. I’m stepping into it with a new look, a rebirth of myself, if you will.

So ladies and gents, let me reintroduce myself. The Queen is rising.