1. Patience. Everyone knows that I am not a very patient person. However, running has taught me that results do not happen immediately and that I need to be patient with myself (and sometimes everyone around me!).
2. Hard work pays off. Deep down inside, I know I’ve always known this but sometimes you doubt the time and efforts you put in to things, whether it’s with work, a friendship, or marathon training. However, hard work really pays off, it just may take time (remember, patience, see #1). 
3. Variety is important. Just like cross training and a variety of non-running workouts is very important to any marathon training plan, variety in life is important. For a long time, I made work my focus 120% of time. I hate to admit that not only did my own fitness and health take a back seat but so did friendships. I am finally learning that I need to find the right balance, now I just need to remember to not let running take over.
4. Me time. I love me time. I spend a lot of me time running and depending on the day, it does wonders for me. It clears my head, helps me sort through some decisions I am struggling with, and is just an all around good time to reflect. Most of my blog post ideas come to fruition while running.
5. Slow and steady wins the race. I guess this goes back to patience but regardless the goal, a plan will always pay off. Trying to pull something off hastily doesn’t always work, maybe some of the time, not most of the time. 
6. Giving up control. Sometimes. There are off days, no matter how much planning I do, there are days that just do not turn out the way they’re supposed to. I get to work late, a project takes longer to finish than expected, my dinner takes longer to cook than expected (that’s me now, blogging while waiting for dinner to finish cooking), or I have an off day in training or a bad race. I am not always in control, and I need to learn to let go, only sometimes though, because otherwise, I wouldn’t be my type-A self.
7. Don’t sweat the small things. So I have an off day, but I can’t let it get to me. I used to freak out, for lack of a better word, all the time, over very small things. I think I am doing better at not letting everything get to me. If you don’t believe me, ask Josh. Hopefully he agrees, or I’m still driving him crazy!
8. Teamwork. Running is not an individual sport and neither is life. I wouldn’t be where I am today in my running and life, personal and professional without the support of my team – my amazing friends and family. 

My teammate sent me this link to different Valentine’s Day cards for runners and in honor of my love for running and a belated Valentine’s Day, I am sharing my favorites in this post.

What has running taught you?

I actually like yoga. Weird, right? Over a span of five-plus years, I’ve tried all sorts of different yoga classes, from bikram to vinyasa to power yoga and I think I may have actually found a class and studio that I like. Garden State Yoga just opened in Hoboken last month and I am so glad I learned about them from Twitter. For someone who can barely touch past her knees, I know that yoga will help with running, but also with my flexibility. In the past, yoga classes intimidated me. I was easily the least flexible one in the class, the one who could not keep up with the poses (downward dog hard), found myself in the back of the room with no idea what any pose names mean, and staring at my watch waiting for the class to end.

When I attended my first Garden State Yoga hot power yoga class, I was skeptical but since I had a free unlimited week, I figured it was worth a shot. By the end of the first class, I was a convert. The instructor taught at a fast pace but slow enough that I felt like I could follow along. Also, the class was not overly crowded so I had my private space to sweat like a dog and the studio was clean (huge plus!). Finally, time flew in class, even though it was a 75 minute class, I was surprised when we were at our savasana. Since that first class, I’ve been back at least once a week and the nights I have yoga, I find myself excited for 75 minutes of relaxation (imagine me relaxed!).

I’m not good at taking pictures of my feet

The other great thing about Garden State Yoga is that it is located one block away from the New Jersey Running Company store. New Jersey Running Company just opened last month as well and I’ve been meaning to stop in for a couple of weeks. When I decided I wanted to try a new pair of running shoes, I figured it was the best excuse to pay a visit. I was pleasantly surprised by the size of the store, variety of apparel, selection of running shoes, and a treadmill that you can test your shoes out on. Though I have been an avid fan of the Asics Nimbus, I’ve been in search of a pair of shoes that would compare. Last year, I purchased the Brooks Glycerin and wore it during the NYC Marathon. After about 100 miles on the shoe, I found that it was no longer as comfortable as when they were new. At the New Jersey Running Company, I explained to the very friendly and knowledgable salesperson what I liked and didn’t like in the Asics and Brooks shoes and she came back with five different styles from Nike to New Balance to Saucony. With each pair, I tested them on a short run on the treadmill. While running, the salesperson was also analyzing my gait. As soon as I got off the treadmill, she replayed my run explaining what she saw with my pronation and my stride’s reaction to the shoe. How cool is that? I left the store excited with my new purchase: Saucony Ride 6 and two pairs of new socks, learned all about the running programs the store offers, points that I earn each time I shop at any of their locations, and that they are the same company as the New York Running Company in the Time Warner Center where I go for bag drop when I run in Central Park. I’m sold! P.S. I will be writing a more detailed review about my new shoes in comparison to the Asics and Brooks in a later blog post.

And on a personal, less running note, this weekend was packed with family parties – a bridal shower and a belated Chinese New Year party. It’s always so nice to get together with my family and if I can see both sides in one weekend, even better! At the bridal shower, there was a caricature artist! My mom and I had him draw a picture of us. I love, love, love the picture! I’m running while my mom is power walking with Coco with the NYC skyline in the background, which of course means, we’re in Hoboken! And I love how Coco is sweating more than I am! 🙂

How was your weekend? Any new running purchases?