This is how I feel about todays run..

My Grateful List ...

I am grateful for those peaceful moments.  We all have them everyday; it’s just a matter of being still long enough to enjoy them.  How did I do it you ask? I started by being still, taking a deep breath and taking in all that is around me.  I call it, in my head, “the 360 look. “  Try it, stop, breath, look around, and just be still in that moment.  Taking it all in.  What I really love about this practice is somehow I don't feel like I am just cruising through life. Oh OK so if something really special is happening (like a kiss from that special man), a hug from your best friend or your kids dancing like crazy when that moment is happening do the 360 look. Sometimes, when being kissed, it is cool to open your eyes.  Maybe the person on the other end of that kiss is looking back at you…

I am grateful for my girlfriends… 


·      Having coffee with girlfriends

·      Having girlfriends you can call at anytime day or night

·      Girlfriends who ask you to lunch

·      Laughing with girlfriends while taking about… Well you know!!!

·      Girlfriends who love you.

I am very grateful for all my girlfriend.

I am grateful for the priceless pieces of art you can find all over my house. 


I am grateful that my kids love taping the walls with there messages...of art and love
.

It’s only a wall after all...

I am oh so grateful for banana hot fudge sundaes...
 

I love hot fudge!!!

I hope this does not gross you out but I am so grateful for Huevos Rancheros..
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I have been craving this breakfast for like a month.  I had it twice this month; thinking about it makes my mouth water.

No, it’s not healthy..
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Step 1: Place two fried corn tortillas on the plate…

Step 2:  Followed by two fried eggs..
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Step 3: Heat up some salsa (fresh is better…)

Step 4:  Pour that on top of the eggs and add some beans…


And well there you go…
 Huevos Rancheros...


This week Gloria is grateful for little things that have made my life extra Yummy!!!


Have a great weekend


xoxo


G

Weekend Recap

*Weekend recap*

Hi guys..
.

How was your weekend?


I had a good weekend.  The weather as always is just great in San Diego.  It never gets to hot and most mornings it is over cast by the beach.  My dad made it to my house by 6am on Saturday and we were running by 6:15...  We ran 12 miles and it was fun.  Let tell you, now that I am running more, the first 3 miles of all my runs are not fun.  My legs hurt and I feel sluggish and tired.  I always tell myself 20 minutes from now I will feel so much better and I always do (at least I think I do).  Is that a mental thing or what?

Running is a lot like life you just need to get through the rough patches to get to the good stuff.  If you never felt bad how would you know when you have it really good? SO never give up... Sometimes you just have to put one foot in front of the other… Then next thing you know you’ve made it. Yes it’s a mental thing.  

So I had asked my dad if he would like to ride his bike with me on Sunday while I did my long run, 20 miles...  He said yes so we met down town and just went for it... I cut it short and did 18 I was really tired.  I am happy to report that last week I ran 52 miles and I am confident after doing my training that I will survive the 50k which is in 4 weeks.

Then I had a dinner date..

Then my little girl asked to go on another short run with her...  So we joined a fun summer running series they have at a local running store.  Get this she wasn’t even the youngest child there... There were about 10 kids under 10 years old who ran with the group.  I don't push her at all.  Let me describe our time together… We are jogging and then all of a sudden we run really fast.  Then she yells mama and we stop and walk...  Until she gives me that look and off we go again!!!  I just let her lead and I follow  .One of the fun things we do when we see an out of state license plates is punch each other softly.  So much fun with my baby girl.

I went to have breakfast at this cool spot called The Garcia's in Carlsbad...  The restaurant serves authentic Mexican cuisine was so good.  The whole place is covered in Mexican decor...  This Frida picture was on the menu... Have I told you I love, love, love, Frida?  All the food was named after different parts of her life...  It was really neat and colorful... There you go, I ran, I hung out with my kids and ate yummy food...

I hope you had a lovely weekend...

xoxo

G

Seriously in Love..

Today I had some wonderful moments where my daughter just melted my heart.  Isabella started swimming classes today. She is in sharks, which means next month she gets to try out for the swim team. 


I have to start by telling you that today started of very stressful for me. I knew if I could get through the morning everything would be OK... and I did. 
I picked up my kids and just went through my day not expecting too much. Then I got Bella ready for swimming class. Her excitement about being in the class completely changed my mood. I put all of my attention on her. This is what I saw...  An amazing little girl who was having such a great time. She laughed with the other kids but paid a-lot of attention and really tried to get her strokes down. Then it happened. I felt my heart melt. I thought to myself… I seriously adore this little girl. I almost, OK I admit it, I cried.  I just felt so happy that she was this healthy 8-year-old and  the sunshine of my life.  I had one those moments when you feel honored to say that’s my child...  Oh the feeling was so amazing... 

Then get this... Bella asked me if she could go on a run with me... Oh my Gosh!! 
How much more could my heart take... Hello!!!

Yes!!! 

Yes!!! 

I said. Lets go, so we got a little running outfit for her from my shrunken pile and hey there you go.  Bella was ready to go for a short run...
 I just about died with pride but I tried not to show how crazy happy I really was. 
My daughter is running with me.  I just kept thinking...
Thank you God. 
  Even if she only does it this once at least I have this moment. 
  
Thank You God.

I had a really great day and my heart is full of love for my kids..
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Thank you God for the 3 wonderful blessings you gave me...


But seriously how cute is Bella in her running skirt...


I can't stand it… Her cuteness factor is a 10.


xoxo


G

What I am grateful for today !!!

Hello Sweet friends.


I want to dedicate this week’s list to my daughter Paola. 


The 13 things about you that I am grateful for:


I am grateful for your beautiful smile.


I am grateful for the sound of your voice. 


I am so happy that you love music as much as I do. 


I am very grateful that you are so tech savvy. 


I love that you still hug me, not as much as I would like, but that's OK. 


I am grateful for your adventurous spirit. The spirit that allows you not to be afraid to color your hair a different color every month. 


I am grateful for you sweet laugh.


I am oh so grateful that we will have each other forever. 


I am grateful for the love notes you leave on my door even when you need something. 


I am so grateful that you love your brother and sister and for the times the three of you hug just because. 


I love that we share a great love for food.


I am grateful that you are my daughter. 


I am grateful for dance nights when we all take part. Including you!!!


I adore you, my not so little girl!!

Mommy

G
xoxo

The running continues..

San Diego has had beautiful weather this week... So I hope I don't bore you with my running stories but it's the excitement in my life right now. Sunday was my long run day because Saturday I was not feeling so amazing. My dad went on a 4 week vacation and this was our first run together in over a month. I have to tell you I really love running with my dad. He is such good company.  He is all over the place and I love that about him. We met up at  Shelter Island at 8:30 am which is late but that's OK since I don't think either of us minded sleeping in a bit.  I told him I needed to run at least 3 hours because that's what the app on my phone said to do.  So he figured a way that we would take the same route and he could walk some of it and he took some short cuts.  He ended up running 13 miles and walking 2.

We ran by this lady flying in her jet pack.. There was a boat show going on and she was part of the entertainment..This looks like so much fun. There is so much to see when you run along the coast.  I really like that I am never alone there is always another runner near by. I love looking at the water and the boats and a lady in a jet pack.  How cool is that??  If you were running along side my dad and I you would hear this a-lot.         Wait dad..I need to take a picture!!!!

Like always my dad was really proud of me.. Way to go princess he tells me.. I have to tell you that I did fine running this weekend.  Like I have said before I am not fast and I am not trying to beat anyone I am simply in love with running and I want to share that with all of you. I did start carrying a back pack for hydration and its made a huge difference.. now I drink 70 ounces of GU brew about every 2 hours and I am so happy because before I wouldn't drink any water..( so dumb) Dehydration is one of the reasons I ended up in the hospital.  I don't ever want to get sick like that again so I am drinking fluids and lots of them and I feel so much better.  I almost wish I could wear my back pack all day long just so I would drink more water throughout the day. 

Only about 5 weeks left until my first 50k..31miles..I am really excited maybe because I am looking forward to the whole experience.  
Have a great day .
xoxo
G

A tiny bit of info...

I am taking a brief moment to share this tid bit with you. I am sitting here reading competitor magazine and I came across this article that says most runners above a certain age say that exercises keeps them young. There is actual proof now that was recently provided that shows exercise has a anti aging power. It helps prevent your body from getting old. Less grey hair,better toned skin, stronger bones and an over all younger look about you..That's so great don't you agree.
Just another great reason to go out side...Hope you have a great weekend...
xoxo
G

I am grateful for....

I am super grateful that it is summer.. The sailboats are out and sandals are in...
I went on a run on the coast near Downtown San Diego. OMG
It was so beautiful all I wanted to do was take pictures..

I am grateful that I have choices when it comes to running shoes.. I have more but somehow these made it to the top of my hamper... When I look at them and think I have a couple of shoes that I like and I am grateful for that.

I am grateful for the swing ride... I love this ride because it brings me back to a time when I loved going in circles...  When I decide to go on it  now it reminds me I am older and I might be sick.  I still think its such a Peter Pan ride... This is a picture of the actual ride that was in Never land ranch..

I am grateful for couples in Love. 

How about trees like this one?  So grateful for beautiful things that make you stop dead in your tracks and make you say Holy COW... This tree is just so beautiful... It's as if it is lifting its limbs up to God..

I am grateful for Family that just loves you regardless
I am grateful for the gift of forgiveness that we all have
I am grateful for hugs
I am grateful for those days you wake up feeling 100%
I am grateful for my dog
I am grateful for 2 tiny Goldfish that are new members of our family
Hope you have a great weekend..I plan on running Saturday and Sunday, Eating and napping and a fun night out on Saturday...
xoxo
G

What I learned yesterday...

I was watching the new last night and I they did a small report on venting. You know when something happens and we pick up the phone and call a friend and tell her everything that happened to us. It is supposed to make us feel better right ? according to the news and to lots of other websites  ..       Venting does just the opposite..
Interesting stuff hu !
So I thought this was worth looking up. What you could do instead of venting.

1. You could go for a walk and reflect.
2. taking deep breaths
3.Take time away from the situation
4. Listening to your favorite song
5. Write in your journal about what just happened
I wanted to share this because I am always looking for ways that help me become a better person or ways that just help. I don't like feeling like I need to vent but I do. I feel that when I vent it doesn't really help it just makes my problem bigger in my own head.  So when I saw this on the news it sparked my interest. My biggest wish is that we could all have peace in our own hearts. I think the world would be such an amazing place.  I believe this little exercise will help bring a little more peace to my heart and I hope it does for yours.
xoxo
G

G goes up a hill...

1. o

I wanted to share my favorite running song. I listen to it when I am getting ready to run up a hill...This is it.The Metro. Here is a little story about me. I love repetition I just do. When I see a hill coming up I feel two things one is a sence of show me what youve got G...The other is I need a good beat to get me up this hill and 9 times out of 10 I will listen to this song about as many times as I have to to get up a hill.. Ok, so one time I listened to it 9 times in a row...I know over kill but it works for me...Its a great song dont you agree.
xoxo
G

G tries Yoga

I tried something new tonight. 
Yoga
  I have tried yoga before just not in a very, very  long time. I was nervous about trying it because I was sure it would be hard and I would not be good at it. The other side of that coin is that I also new that it would be really good for my body. I also new that it would be great for my mind to just rest..
I showed up and that to me is half the battle. Next, I tried it and yes it was difficult and no it was not easy and yes I am sure in the morning I will feel it.
I do have to say that I am hopeful that this will help me with my running and breathing. I am a very heavy breather when I run. People say to me are you OK? when I run. I respond oh yes..I  am just a heavy breather.(really) I hope yoga helps me be more aware of my breathing. Its so different for me doing new things as an adult because maybe I know the work you must put into something to learn it well. Everything worth doing right takes time to learn. It just depends how much you want to take the time to learn to do something right. Today during the class when she said if you would like close your eyes please do..Hello I thought... That is not an option for me because I had no idea what I was doing and how would I then proceed to copy everyone. I had to focus . I have a free week of yoga to try. I think I will do just that try it a couple times and see how it feels. It is definitely a really relaxing experience and everyone should try it..I will let you know if I can move in the morning...
Good Night and Namaste
xoxo
G

Running=Happy G

I hope you had a great Sunday.. I just got done having a really yummi homemade Mexican dinner..Carne Asada with homemade salsa, tortillas beans and rice...yumm
So I thought I would share my weekend iphone photo pictures..First I ran over 30 miles this weekend. If you think I am crazy then you need to call the guy who invented the app I am using to train for my 50k that's just about 5 weeks away...I am following what my phone tells me.. Seriously I am not a fast runner just a girl who likes how running feels makes me feel... HAPPY
So, the good news is I only got lost one day...Yeah
The other good news is I am wearing what runners call a Nathan and I call a Camel back. I am drinking water while I run and its making a huge difference in my recovery.
I am also putting really good stuff in my water, remember a couple months ago I ended up in the hospital, the first thing they told me is that I was really dehydrated so I am not going to let that happen again. Here I am at about mile 2..It really wasn't that hot and there was lots of shade..

These are my new shoes..They don't look new but they are..There Newtons and they have a really cool sole. If you run with bad posture your body gets tired faster and your wasting lots of energy. If you strike funny, like pronate stuff like that this shoe helps you fix all that with pain. See if you don't learn to strike properly with these shoes you calves hurt so your body fixes your posture after a couple of miles so that your shoes don't hurt.. It works, my posture is better and I strike better and I have better form. All because of my shoes...cool stuff ..

That back pack is my Nathan back pack..cool
I am a dork its OK I know it...
I had a great weekend I ran a-lot but I don't hurt and it really helps with my confidence as I go try to run a 50k..to know I can do lots of miles even if its broken up in two days. I might be taking a-lot about my runs for the next 5 weeks because I am so excited about my next race. I wonder how running that distance will change me...I am excited to share my story about how I feel leading up to it..I even thought about changing my banner to a running banner but nah....
I am slowly jotting down mental notes of things I need in my back pack for long runs..
1. wipes
2. a bandanna
3.almonds
4.pretzels
5.glide
6. salt 
7. lip balm
The cool thing is that I believe us girls love getting bags ready..
I hope you had a great weekend and if you haven't tried running or jogging try it..Its hard in the begining but its so good for you..
xoxo
G

Things I am grateful for....

I am grateful that my dad is coming home today...He has been on vacation for 3 weeks..
way to long if you ask me, but that's me being selfish...
I am just grateful that tomorrow I get to hug him...yeah!!!!!

I am grateful for Frida Kahlo..her work is so inspiring to me. I do believe that her being from Mexico makes me feel closer to her..I am not sure if that makes sense. I love that her work has so much color and that just by looking at it you know it's Mexican art.. I was talking to my mom about her and she told me that she has been to Frida's house and that it's this amazing museum.  I am definitely going one day.  I can't imagine not going...
Holy cow I almost forgot...This is her Birthday month...
Happy Birthday Frida, Thank you for having such a colorful amazing spirit...

On this beautiful day... The things that fill my heart with sweet gratitude are...
Lovely ceramic owls..I really love cute owls. I thought maybe it was a phase and I think my kids hoped it was just that but nope...
I love collecting them, drawing them and looking at them..
My heart feels warm when I look at them...

I am so grateful for drinks shared with friends.. everything seems better after you have shared it..

Yes...no...Yes..no.. I am grateful for Love..
Love makes me feel yes, no, yes, no...
Love fills my tummy with butterflies..
Loves  fills me with patience..
Love makes me strong and weak.
Love keeps me going.
I am in love with loving..
I am gratefulllll for Love...
That's it sweet friends...I hope you have a wonderful day and don't forget to go outside today..
xoxo
G

another running story...

Hi there...Sorry Its been a while. I have been hanging out with my kids and working and running.. I did have a nice three day weekend. I only have 2 of my 3 kids my heart misses my little girl. The weekend was nice but I miss my Isa.  I had a totally I would call it  character building run this Saturday.(This picture was taken right after) We ran or let me fix that I ran about 20 miles around Lake Hodges. Everyone else ran 22.. I got a little lost.OK, so I was born directionless.. I can get lost in a parking lot , oh wait I have. I know... you might think its beacuse I dont pay attention but I pay attention and get lost ...I cry because I get so frustrated with myself but crying helps no one..So I walk around until I find my way..So back to my story..Lake Hodges is a great run I can see that. Its all trail so its great training for the 50k I have coming up in August. I have to tell you that we were there by 6:30am so we could get started as soon as possible because of the heat..We should of been there at 5am....it got hot quickly
So I also started running with camel back and I dont do great with new stuff it takes me a while to get used to changes..so before I started running my head was in the wrong place..My complaining gremlins were all awake...So I started of slow and I think by mile 4.78 I started to feel good. So there I went just doing my thing...There is a place around lake Hodges that I should not run alone because I will get lost..and I did just that...I got lost..So now its Mile 14 and I am lost and its 90 degrees outside..
YUCK!!!
That's when you have to practice really good self talk.. Its also when you realize what you really need is water. Some how after running a really long distance in the heat knowing you still  have about an hour to go you must simplify your brain.. I tell myself that yes I can make it back and that this is fun (when its not) but I know I need to believe this because I am choosing to enjoy the next hour not let it tear me down.  So I find my way back after asking 3 total strangers ...excuse me sir...How do I get back to the bridge that's next to the freeway...Oh its over that hill....Thank you I say...Now, don't criticize me...because I am being totally honest OK.. Here's my brain..Does he mean go over the hill or go around it...because if I go around it I might get lost again but if I go up and down I should be fine...

Yeah...not so much....I eventually just kept moving and found my way out.I chose to go up and down the hill..It was kind of funny because I am by myself at this point and somehow I found the road but when I did I was coming out of the side of some hill onto the road and I am sure people driving by were like OK...someone got lost.. It was not that bad I guess...and there were some people running so I knew I would be OK...So now I start running back and yes I ran out of water and I wanted to cry because I was hot but I was still moving and just loving that I could be out there.so I think thats what happens to my brain I get alittle confused.....I kept looking around and I just felt really grateful that I love to run.(while I am so so hot).I think at some points when you run its a religious experience...One thing is I am never alone or really lost.. God is there with me.. He is that voice that gives me that excitement I need to keep going right. I think its actually pretty cool when I picture him running next to me.. Yes, I totally picture him with a Beard. 
back to the story...We all finished the run..We all ran out of water ..We were all spent but  we all would do it again..Heck Yes !!!!.So what I learned is that which does not kill you only makes you stronger..
my self confidence is building and thanks to runs like last Saturdays it will continue to build...
Have a great day...and I know its hot but try to go outside today..Its good for you !!!
xoxo
G

What I am grateful for today !!

This summer I feel grateful for the color yellow... I love yellow sandals,dresses, nail polish and yellow drinks..Oh wait I also love how this color makes me feel ......Happy

I feel grateful when I look around and see that God provided us with flowers..Here they are they come in all shapes and colors for our viewing pleasure...They are the earths decorations...

This picture makes me grateful for earthy things....It makes me feel grateful that I can run and be connected to the earth. It makes me feel the raw that nature has for us....I like it..

I am grateful for really cool signs...Like this one..I am also grateful for documentaries like I am..It was a great story about understanding what really makes us happy...and money was not it...

I am grateful for my girlfriend Elena for lots of reasons ...first she has been  a grate influence on my teenager...second because she is very wise...third she has great giving skills...

I am grateful for moments that make me happy to be alive and present..moments when I look outside and see this. moments that very quietly give me hope.. That say yes you can ...just look out your car window G...
I hope this weekend brings you lots of joy...
xoxo
G