FEBRUARY GOALS

I’ll leave off all the ones relating to all the other things I need to be doing as they just feel like checklists.

Health & fitness

1. Stick to my LA Marathon training plan and get through the highest mileage weeks and long runs of marathon training without injury. Plan includes strength and cross training.

2. Figure out a race pace and get comfortable with it.

3. Run the Hansen Dam Friendship Run 18-miler.

4. Change up my strength and core routine. Try another Nike Training App workout. I did — er, attempted — a core workout and it kicked my ass.

5. Track (with points) for at least a week and one weigh-in. I got through about 4 days of tracking my points and then abandoned it after the BBQ for my grandparents’ anniversary.

6. Continue planning out dinners for weekday nights at the beginning of the week. We just started doing this and it really helped save time and streamline shopping.

JANUARY GOALS CHECK-IN

Health & fitness

1. Continue attending yoga classes: Nope. Yoga went by the wayside as I got in more running.

2. Rehab IT band: Sorta. It feels much better, but I still feel some discomfort during long runs. It’s not as bad as it was in December. I need to be better about icing and rolling it with the Stick, even if I don’t feel like I need it. I’ve been increasing my mileage recently and have felt good.

3. Get my 5 servings of fruits and veggies daily: Check. Eating a big salad for lunch almost daily helps with this.

4. Attend one Weight Watcher’s meeting: Check. I started tracking and counting points for food last week. Based on my sex, age, height, weight, and activity level, I was allotted 26 measly points. I haven’t stayed within that limit at all in the last 7 days. If I did, I’d feel quite hungry. In the past, I still lost weight even using the weekly flexibility points (49/week) and activity points I earned.

5. Stick to Marc’s training plan: Check, sorta. Sometimes, I don’t do the scheduled cross training and run instead. However, I’ve stuck to the straining and look forward to it. I’ve been able to up the weights for the dumbbells I’m using.

6. Negative split at Carlsbad half marathon: Check, just barely.

Wedding

1. Update guest list: Check. It’s a little worrisome that our guest list is larger than our venue cap.

2. Gather addresses: Check. The mailing list is 85% complete. We still need addresses for Sean’s family and his parents’ friends.

3. Make planning timeline, consult planning checklists: Half check. I got the latter done and downloaded a few wedding planning apps.

4. Schedule Catholic couples retreat: Not yet.

5. Begin wedding gown search: Online, yes. I got suggestions from LA/Southern California area bridal boutiques from friends and family. I’ll be visiting a few shops later this week with my mom and sister.

6. Complete save-the-dates: Check. We got them on Monday.

7. Make wedding website: Check. It’s still in progress.

8. Book honeymoon: Nope. We still have a lot of work to do researching the various options.

Bonus:
I originally delegated the mariachi search to my dad. I know he’s picky with mariachis and he has good taste. He had a group he liked, but they were booked. After some online searching, my dad went to a party and heard a mariachi he really enjoyed. They also had two women in the group, which I liked because I love to hear women sing rancheras and boleros. The group is available and affordable. We just need to make it official.

We also signed up for a couple of gift registries. We haven’t done much with them yet.

Blog

1. Bring back This Day in Chicano History posts: Check. I have a list I made a couple years ago with several dates. I need more women-related dates on it.

I have mixed feelings on doing these monthly goal posts. It’s trendy, but it’s helped me to mix things up with my normal routine and I am getting things done. Thus, I’m still on the monthly goal bandwagon.

JANUARY GOALS

Health & fitness

1. Continue attending yoga classes
2. Rehab IT band
3. Get my 5 servings of fruits and veggies daily. No burgers or fries!
4. Attend one Weight Watcher’s meeting
5. Stick to Marc’s training plan (includes cross training and strength)
6. Negative split at Carlsbad half marathon

Wedding

1. Update guest list (already begun)
2. Gather addresses (already begun)
3. Make planning timeline, consult planning checklists
4. Schedule Catholic couples retreat
5. Begin wedding gown search
6. Complete save-the-dates
7. Make wedding website (in progress)
8. Book honeymoon

Blog

1. Bring back This Day in Chicano History posts

DECEMBER GOALS

Health & fitness
1. Use my Groupon for yoga classes at a local studio: Check. I took one beginner’s class and am looking forward to going back. I liked the teacher.

2. Run around the UCLA perimeter twice: Nay. I avoided a hard hill workout before the Holiday Half (12/11). Afterward I was recovering and dealing with some mild IT issues. From what I read, hills make it worse.

3. Run the Holiday Half Marathon and PR: Check!!!

4. Strength training twice a week: Half check. I started this in the last two weeks of the month.

5. Do a couple of runs with a friend or group: Nay.

6. Stick to my training plan: Nay. I fell off after the half, but I did start incorporating the cross training and strength he’s included.

7. Decide on the LA Marathon: Check. I’m in unofficially.

Wedding

1. Engagement photo session: Check. Loved the results and the process of getting all dolled up was fun too. [Photo above by Michael Fletcher.]

2. Estimates/hiring 2 other big ticket vendors: Nay.

The blog
1. Post 3 times week: Check.

Other
Get the most of our Disneyland passes: Check. We went after the half marathon. It was quite crowded, but we saw/did some more new stuff and finally checked out the fireworks show.

Overall, 2011 was a pretty good year. Below, eleven memorable moments in chronological order.

Kissing Sean at midnight on New Years Eve. That almost didn’t happen thanks to a fierce winter snowstorm that delayed his move from NY to LA a few days. [post]

Feeling Grandpa and Grandmas’ spirits giving me strength in the final miles of the LA Marathon. Something made me surge at mile 25. I say it was my grandparents. Crossing the finish line was cool too. [post]

Getting a text message telling me to turn around and then seeing Sean down on his knee, holding a ring in a box. I said yes. There were tears and mocos (boogers). [post]

Learning from Adrian via a midnight text message that St John Vianney was on fire and likely unsalvageable. It didn’t hit me until the next morning when I saw the news and photos of the gutted church. [post]

Running and biking along Lake Ontario during my trip to Toronto. Other memorable runs during my travels: a long run through Santa Barbara; a short post-LB Marathon run along the Hudson in New York; running along the nature preserve in Napa. [post]

Reaching the point on our hike when Nevada Falls finally came in to view. Yosemite was great overall. Even though our trip was cut short thanks to the crazy storm it was still pretty amazing. [post]

Setting a date, signing contracts and paying deposits to reserve the church and reception hall. After that point, getting married started to feel official. [post]

Celebrating my 31st birthday with lots of friends and family. Not only did they show up, a lot of people also put in lots of time and effort to make it special for me. [post]

Seeing Sean and his friends sing Jay Z’s “Empire State of Mind” at the top of their lungs at a bar during our only trip back to New York this year. I know he misses NY. I do too. [post]

Spending a day at Disneyland with my parents, grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousins. It was neat to fill up an It’s A Small World boat with my family and see Papá Chepe and Mamá Toni enjoy Disneyland for the first time in 35+ years. [post]

Kicking ass during the Holiday Half Marathon and earning a 5 minute PR. I ran a few PRs this year and for the most part met my running goals. However, this one instilled some confidence and felt like a come back from my awful LB Marathon experience. [post]

Are you in a blogging rut? Need some ideas for blog posts?

Never fear, here’s 10 timely topics. Don’t worry, these haven’t been done to death by bloggers, magazine writers and local TV news.

1. How not to gain weight through the holidays and manage eating at holiday parties. This includes writing about low-fat and low-calorie versions of traditional holiday dishes.

2. Gift guides for everyone, including the neighbor’s dog.

3. How to survive spending time with your family over the holidays and holiday dinners

(more…)

I did better on my goals for last month (see below), but can still improve and this month gives me a good chance to do so. I know a lot of people dread December fitness-wise. I don’t. I’m also as chill as VR up there. I look forward to the family Christmas parties, holiday work parties and spending more time with friends as they have time off.

Since I work at a public university that needs to find clever ways to cut budgets, I get a forced 7 day vacation during the winter campus closure. As a result of the state’s penny pinching (er, fiscal mismanagement), I’ll have more time for Christmas related stuff as well as writing, getting in my workouts, try new classes, etc. It’s a good time for to mix up my usual routine.

DECEMBER GOALS

Health & fitness
1. Use my Groupon for yoga classes at a local studio
2. Run around the UCLA perimeter twice. I’ve done the 3+ mile route once a couple years ago. It’s a great hill workout.
3. Run the Holiday Half Marathon and PR (<1:58). I’m not sure I have it in me, but after the Turkey Trot I have more confidence in my ability to sustain a sub 9 pace.
4. Strength training, twice a week. I need to do this.
5. Do a couple of runs with a friend or group. Trail running with Lori in the San Gabriel Mountains perhaps?
6. Stick to my training plan. I’m paying a coach to tell me what I should do. I should listen to him.
7. Decide on the LA Marathon. Yes? No? I can’t delay much longer.

Wedding
The November goals we didn’t meet carry over.
1. Engagement photo session
2. Estimates/hiring 2 other big ticket vendors (mariachi? florist?)

The blog
1. Post 3 times week. I’ll have the time.

Other
Get the most of our Disneyland passes. We upgraded about a month before they expire. Might as well make our money worth it.

NOVEMBER GOALS

Health & fitness

1. Stick to my half marathon training plan – Check. I skipped 2 or 3 runs and was off 10 miles from the total my online coach had for me.

2. Run the Turkey Trot 10K and set a PR – Check.

3. Strength training twice a week – Fail. I’m much more likely to work out if I can do things at home. I’m lazy about getting to the gym even though it’s so close and on one of my running routes. I need one more piece of equipment to do most of my strength exercises my coach has for me at home.

4. Run home from work once a week – Half check. At rush hour, I can make the 5 mile trip from my office to my apartment on foot faster than on the bus or even doing my usual car/bus method. (Drive 1.5 miles, bus the rest. I do this to save money on parking. A subsidized bus pass is much more affordable than parking on campus.) This time of year, running home is a good way to deal with earlier sunsets and I’m guaranteed not to flake on my planned workout. It’s also mainly downhill, so that helps. Trouble is, it takes some preparation. I ran home twice; the third week I forgot to pack a sports bra. I stopped by the student store and considered buying one, but nixed that plan when I saw they were selling Champion bras for $34. Um, that same bra — minus the UCLA logo — costs $15 a Target. The commute home that day was really bad and took over an hour.

5. Go back to Weight Watchers for a meeting – Check. I achieved Lifetime status last spring after getting to my goal weight and maintaining it for 6 weeks. Unfortunately, maintenance isn’t as easy as losing. I quickly gained back ~5 lbs and was ineligible to attend free meetings since I wasn’t within 2 lbs of my goal weight. So, I didn’t go back because I didn’t want to pay for something I wasn’t getting much out of anymore. Earlier this year I found out the WW plan had changed and I was curious about it. I attended a meeting and learned all about the new Points Plus plan. It’s different enough that there’s a bit of a learning curve for me. I tried tracking for a week and fell off very fast as I had to calculate/look up everything rather than go from memory. I do want to get back to goal weight, so when I decide to make that a priority, I’ll go back to tracking and keeping within my points. It worked once before!

6. Focus on eating more fruits and vegetables – Fail. I didn’t track this, but I’m pretty sure I wasn’t getting my 5 recommended servings per day.

Wedding
1. Get save-the-date and invite ideas to our graphic designers – Yes. We’ve got some feedback and even a first look of some graphics we’ll use.

2. Decide a concept/location for our engagement photo shoot in December – Half check. We can’t really delay on this much longer.

3. Figure out estimates for 2 more big items on our budget – Fail. This was sort of an off month in the wedding planning area. At least we got some props for our photo booth thanks to post Halloween sales.

The Blog
1. Do something for 11/7 (blog anniversary) – Check, but I didn’t post my other reflections on 10 years of blogging. It’s tough to pick out favorites when you have 10 years’ worth of posts.

NOVEMBER GOALS

Health & fitness
1. Stick to my marathon training plan
2. Run the Turkey Trot 10K and set a PR – Last year my sister won a turkey for placing first in her age group. I placed 2nd in my group. It was a tiny race thanks to the rain.
3. Strength training twice a week
4. Run home from work once a week
5. Go back to Weight Watchers for a meeting
6. Focus on eating more fruits and vegetables (5 a day)

Wedding
1. Get save-the-date and invite ideas to our graphic designers
2. Decide a concept/location for our engagement photo shoot in December
3. Figure out estimates for 2 more big items on our budget

The Blog
1. Do something for the 11/7

I don’t have anything big for work this month. My goals for my own education remain the same.

OCTOBER GOALS

Health & fitness
1. Run a personal best at the Long Beach Marathon – Nope. I added 30 minutes on to my LA Marathon time.
2. Begin half marathon training – Check. I took two weeks off after LB, but got back in to it at the end of the month.
3. Start strength training – Nope.
4. Eat out less – So-so. The weeks in LA might have been okay, but the NY trip probably messed me up.

5. Try more new recipes – Check. I made a delicious pumpkin bread I found on Jamelle’s blog. This is the first time I’ve tried baking some kind of bread. My mom and sister, the actual bakers in the family, approved. I

That dissertation thing
… Let’s not talk about this.

Job1 & Job2
1. Write my section of the report for one of our external funders – check
2. Finish the qualitative institutional reports – check
3. Start remembering the names of the new students – needs improvement

Wedding
1. Update our budget, make a plan to save enough and pay any outstanding deposits – Check, if you extend the deadline to November 2nd. The only thing we got done in October was the last item.
2. Schedule our engagement shoot with Michael, our photographer – same as #1
3. Ask our bridesmaids and groomsmen to be part of our wedding party – check! (except for one, that’s Sean’s job)
4. Ask X to be my maid of honor – Check. I asked Lori, my sister, to by maid of honor. She said yes, but she seems a little nervous about the responsibilities.
5. Meet Sean’s extended family at our informal Long Island engagement party – Xheck, the party was fun. I could use some more rum punch.
6. Work with our graphic designers on our save-the-dates and invites – Still need to do. At least we have a timeline to work with.

The blog
1. Post two DIY costumes per week – Half check. I posted 7 costumes, but some were re-done. I do give myself some credit for putting up some new costumes like La Dama and the Mexican Calendar Girl.

Other
1. Get my Halloween costume together – Check. This was easier after I switched plans and all I had to do was get yellow shorts and make my antennae.

2. Make an overkill jar for all the words and phrases Sean and I say way too much – Check. The money will go to the wedding fund.

I got tagged by Julie and Shelby, two fellow bloggers for a blog award. This means I have to — well, I don’t have to, but I kinda like these memes — post 10 fun facts about myself.

1. I’m a dumbass. After doing a short easy test run a few days before the Long Beach Marathon, I iced my hamstring. I wasn’t thinking and affixed the ice pack against my bare skin. I left it there for 20 minutes. The result? An embarrassing and itchy ice pack burn. Thankfully, it wasn’t a serious burn and went away in a few days.

2. I subscribe to 34 podcasts. Some of those are super short or song-of-the day types, but several are 45 minutes to more than a hour long. I always have a podcast to listen to at work or for a run.

3. Whenever I feel pretty bummed about running, I remind myself that I’ve only been doing this for a little over 2 years. If you would have told me in early 2009 that I’d be able to run a half marathon in <2 hours (okay, barely) or run a marathon, I’d have laughed at you.

4. I watched Toy Story 3 for the third (fourth?) time on Saturday. I cried again. I blame hormones and the fact that I’m a wuss.

5. Aside from persistent gray hairs and paying bills, the biggest difference I notice about getting older is that I now regularly get motion sickness on roller coasters and spinning rides at amusement parks. I always loved the rides that made me super dizzy, now they make me want to vomit or give me headaches. Also, I used to be able to read in a car without any problem. I occasionally get queasy when I read in a car or on the bus, especially if there are a lot of turns or jerking motions.

6. I probably look a little too long when I see a mixed (black+another race) baby or kid when out and about. I blame my biological clock and the fact that I look forward to being the mother to Mexican+Jamaican babies.

7. The food I most often crave is plain old frijoles de la olla, basically a freshly made pot of pinto beans. I love beans and am so happy when I can steal some from my mom’s house.

8. Since high school my mom has predicted that I wouldn’t marry a Mexican man. She was right.

9. I get that a lot of beauty practices are painful, uncomfortable, and time consuming. I avoid most of those, but will deal with things like eyebrow and upper lip waxing because I like the results. However, I won’t suffer for fashion. I tried on a sequined dress last week just for fun. I think I looked okay in the dress, but was very uncomfortable. I left the shop feeling itchy and with red marks on my skin.

10. I take my right to vote seriously and like going to the voting booth. I’m not the most informed person when it comes to politics. I mean, I can talk about the stupid things Herman Cain and Michele Bachmann said during last night’s debate. However, I do nerdy things like write letters to my representatives on issues I feel strongly about (see: the DREAM Act) and volunteer for political campaigns when possible.

I’m supposed to tag someone, but I’ll skip that part.

Goal:
Be as bad ass as the huntress/warrior woman in the mural above.

More specifically…

Health & fitness
1. Run a personal best at the LB Marathon; I have more ambitious time goals than sub 4:23, but I’m not so sure how that’ll work out with the hamstring issues and cold
2. Begin half marathon training (for Holiday Half on December 12th)
3. Start strength training
4. Eat out less
5. Try more new recipes

That dissertation thing
1. STOP SLACKING. Seriously.
2. Chapter 3 drafted, sent to the advisor. Chapter 2 revised.

Job1 & Job2
1. Write my section of the report for one of our external funders
2. Finish the qualitative institutional reports
3. Start remembering the names of the new students

La boda (the wedding) [with Sean]
1. Update our budget, make a plan to save enough and pay any outstanding deposits
2. Schedule our engagement shoot with Michael, our photographer
3. Ask our bridesmaids and groomsmen to be part of our wedding party
4. Ask X to be my maid of honor
5. Meet Sean’s extended family at our informal Long Island engagement party
6. Work with our graphic designers on our save-the-dates and invites

The blog
1. Post two DIY costumes per week

Other
1. Get my Halloween costume together
2. Make an overkill jar for all the words and phrases Sean and I say way too much

Things Sean missed after leaving New York and moving to LA:
- Several blizzards (except for the one that delayed his move 3 days)
- The second hottest day in New York City history
- An earthquake
- A hurricane

Things Sean misses about LA and wants to do when we return to NY in the fall:
+ Play football with ZogSports
+ Visit various restaurants
+ Walk/take the train everywhere
+ Wear his fall coats again (he gave them to his brother before he left)
+ Go to happy hour with friends
+ See family, of course
+ Hopefully see the Yankees in the playoffs

Maybe sometime soon I’ll have a photo of me wearing/holding up the jersey of whoever gets #31 on the NFL team we might get in LA.

I also chose this photo because it’s a gratuitous before/after photo. The first photo is from January ’09 on my first trip to the Staples Center. After the Red Wings beat the Kings, my date and I wandered around the store; of course I had to take a photo of the Kurt Rambis’ jersey. I know the jersey covers up most of me. Oh well, you can see it in the face right? This photo was taken just a few days after I started WW. [This is usually the "before" picture I use.]

The Dodgers jersey was a gift from Sean. The first jersey he bought was lost somewhere in a postal office in NY. Someone out there has a Dodgers jersey and is confused; there are no Mosquedas on the Dodgers. I took the second photo in June ’10, after getting to my goal weight and achieving WW Lifetime status.

There are a lot of differences between January ’09 me and August ’11 me. Things that I didn’t foresee happening in January ’09:

1. Successfully losing 31% of my starting weight (60 lbs).
2. Running a mile without stopping. Hell, running much longer distances without stopping and really enjoying it.
3. Cooking decent home-cooked meals.
4. Still loving the Dodgers even as they go through one of the worst seasons ever, both on and off the field. Troubles include life-threatening violence in the parking lot, threats of MLB taking over, severe decrease in attendance, possible bankruptcy and not being able to make payroll on the first of the month.
5. Going back to work as a research assistant for my advisor to study the educational pipeline of underrepresented minority research scientists.
6. Getting an article I co-wrote with colleagues published in a top tier education journal. I was last author, but that’s okay.
7. Losing two long time roommates and seeing my living situation turn upside down initially. In the end it all worked out and I have some pretty cool roommates.
8. Beginning to date Sean, the guy who inspired the concert buddy search and a post on mini crushes. After 9 months of doing the LA/NY thing, he moved to LA. A few months later, he asked me to marry him. Now we’re planning a wedding. Fun times (sorta).
9. Having my words featured in some pretty cool places. I wrote about college affordability on the NY Times debate blog and was featured along with my father on NPR’s Morning Edition and Latino USA talking about our father/grandfather. I’m such a nerd that a year later I’m still geeking out over that.
10. Getting in to the reading running and healthy living blogs. (More the former as the latter typically bore me.) These would inspire some quality snark and contributions to a meme. Today I found out I won Angry Runner’s contest. Neat.

There are some things that haven’t changed since then. Some of the changes were tough. The change in roommates wasn’t easy. Neither was breaking up with Alan in November ’09. I only alluded to it here, but it felt a little too personal for the blog.