Wednesday, November 20, 2013

#OperationMelanie

A guy friend of mine showed me this inspiring message about fit girls. And, I'd like to think he was speaking to me. lol


But, really, I was never really a "skinny" girl, I always had meat on me. But, I was always pretty fit. That is until I moved to Santa Barbara for college. I didn't move as a Freshman, so I can't say that I gained the "freshman 15," and honestly, I probably gained much more than 15 pounds in that first year. I'm gonna go ahead and call it the "transfer 20" maybe even 30. But, before I moved back home, I got my ass into gear and lost all the weight. I wasn't trying to come back home looking like that. I think it was about this time that Justin Timberlake came out with "Sexy Back," so all me and my girls would talk about "bringing sexy back" and bringing it back to high school and how we looked then. I actually think that when I moved back home I looked better than I did in high school. And we all know I thought I was hot sh*t in high school. Hahahaha!! If you didn't know my back then, my prom dresses were the epitomy of bourgie hood. lol 

Anyway, I got to my goal and got to my ideal body figure before I moved home. Life was great. I just graduated from college, moved back home, and I was feeling great about myself...looks and all. And then, I don't know what happened. I guess I just got comfortable. Got into a relationship, where I moved in with the dude. We ate out a lot, and late, and a lot of times on a really late night tip. To this day I just don't know how I let myself get like that. I'm still not my ideal weight/shape as I type, but I'm working on it and it's coming along. I look at old pictures, and at at first I was in digust, and now I'm just in awe. What the hell happened! 

I'm still quite embarassed as to how the hell I got like that. But, that friend of mine that showed me the message above, told me to be proud. Be proud of what I accomplished. And so I am. I'm not one to put myself on blast with the selfies. And, I know this is a bit different b/c I'm showing my success with fitness. And, I see people do it all the time, and of course I clap it up for them and congratulate them...I just don't know if I'll ever do the famous sports bra and shorts shot. Maybe when I get closer to my goal it'll happen. For now, those have been saved for those closest to me, that I know won't be secretly hating with their snide remarks.

But, I will show you this. 

To the left is a picture of me on October 18, 2009 when I ran my very first Nike Women's Marathon in 02:47:36. To the right, is a picture of me running the Nike Women's Marathon this year, October 20, 2013. I made a PR for this course at 02:37:46. 


#OperationMelanie is in full effect. I'm really on a mission this time. No more being consistantly inconsistant. A little while ago I posted on twitter and facebook a little note to my abs - "Dear Abs, I see you peaking out. It's time to come out and play." Funny, I know. But I'm also being completely serious. I've tasted a sliver of accomplishment and I'm ready for more.

Monday, November 18, 2013

UFC 167 - 20th Anniversary

The gym that I go to for Muay Thai, Evolve Training Center, had a contest called "Refer and You Shall Receive." The basic premise was, if you brought in people and they signed up, you got points. At the end of the contest, who ever had the most points would win. 
 
I didn't really think anything of the contest at first b/c no matter how many people asked me about the gym, or who I brought in, in the past, no one ever signed up. BUT, it just so happened that my cousin finally brought in my nephew for Muay Thai and Ju-jitsu and she happened to also take part in the boxing for fitness class. I say FINALLY b/c I had been telling her for months already to just come in and check it out. And then, she decided to sign both of them up. At this time, I wasn't even thinking of the contest. I was just happy that someone that asked me about the gym, finally came through and would be sharing in my joy. But, lucky me, it just so happened that it was double points week. I wasn't even in the running and all of a sudden, I was a contender. WOO HOO! 
 
In the end, I WON!!! Yesss! The grand prize? A trip to Vegas for UFC 167, the 20th Anniversary of the UFC. That's right, my flight, my hotel, and my ticket for the fights were all paid for. 

I flew out Friday morning, with Mark and Audrey. And we tried for an early check in at the MGM (yes I did stay at the hotel venue!), unfortunately, it couldn't happen. So, we checked our bags in with the concierge and did a little eating and shopping. Later that night, we went to Light at Mandalay Bay and partied it up a little. 
 
Saturday, John flew in and we met with Mark and Audrey for brunch. And later we got to enjoy the fights! The first fight started at 330pm and I must say they didn't disappoint. And, so it had begun. None of the fights were disappointing, even the fights that were not even broadcast on TV were good. And, the main event, GSP vs Hendricks, even with all the controversy following the results, the fight was a great one. Every minute was exciting. The atmosphere in the arena, Bruce Buffer's introductions, the crowd's energy … I'm so glad I was able to experience that. This very well could be the only time that I will ever be able to experience this, I'm so glad that I was able to. It was an amazing weekend.

Thank you ETC for giving me the opportunity to enjoy this in person. So, much better than my big screen. lol 

Oh and I did stand only a few feet from Nick Diaz. No I didn't get a picture with him. I was too shy. I was just shocked that he was right there. And really he and his friends were in their own world, I didn't want to bother him, he was out for a night of fun. 

Here are the few photos that were taken this weekend.








Thursday, November 14, 2013

military boots

Again with another super duper late post. Oh well. 

So, I was looking for some military boots for quite awhile. I almost got some Doc Martens, but they just weren't the look I was looking for. And then I came across these wine colored military boots by Steve Madden. I fell in love. But I sure the hell didn't fall in love with the price. At $100 I had to pass. And after I seen the wine color in person, I wasn't so pleased with the tone. So, I would've gone with black if anything. 


But, again, Target came to the rescue. I've had pretty good luck finding boots during the Fall and Winter season in the past years, so I just had to check. And looky looky what I found. I was able to find these. And, I happened to find my size in store. They were meant to be. Here's how I wore them when I wore them for the first time.



(Please excuse the exploding gym bag.) 

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Halloween 2013

Well this post is about a couple of weeks late, but I haven't been posting much and I am still quite pleased with my make shift Minnie Mouse costume, so better late than never right? Right!

Well, my cousin Jessica dragged me out, but honestly she didn't have to twist my arm too much. I hadn't been out in a really really really long time and some of my favorite dj's were spinning so why not go out and support the folks right? So, I thought about what I could do. I had these clip on Minnie Mouse ears that haven't been put to much use, so I decided to be Minnie Mouse.

So, I had to look of course for a red shirt. And the tank I'm wearing is honestly, the only red top that I have that isn't a 49ers top. And so I threw on some black shorts.

I wanted to make sure that I didn't forget the collar. In Kindergarten, I was Minnie Mouse for Halloween, my dad and I answered the door for some trick or treaters and a big kid was also Minnie Mouse, but as soon as she saw me, she realized she had forgotten her collar. I don't know why that memory resonates with me so clearly, but it does and b/c of it I wanted to be sure that I didn't forget mine. So, I went ahead with my pearl collar necklace.

I added the suspenders b/c honestly I just think they are a sexy accessory and it fit. The gloves were a last minute after thought. Minnie and Mickey are known for their white gloves, and just before Jessica and I were headed out, something clicked and I remembered that I had a pair of white lace gloves.

The makeup was quite simple. I did blush, bronzer, highlight and my eyebrows. The only thing I did that was quite different is that I extended the black eyeliner out to have 3 wings. Minnie Mouse is known for her 3 eyelashes. And of course I drew on the nose. I didn't draw any whiskers b/c Minnie doesn't have any.

Oh and the shoes. Can't forget about the shoes. You can only see a glimpse of the shoes in the first picture, but Minnie is known for her yellow shoes. So, I brought out my yellow dunks! Here are the few photos that I have from that night.











Monday, October 21, 2013

Nike Women's Marathon San Francisco 10.20.2013

Yesterday, was the annual Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco. And for the fifth year in a row, I did the half marathon. This year was the 10 year anniversary so it was huge. I think last year there were about 20,000 people that ran. This year I believe around 30,000 people ran. The expo was beautiful. But, there weren't as many vendors as there normally are, which means the swag bag that we normally get was quite sparse. Very unfortunate, because in all the years past the Nike Women's Marathon expo was THEE ONE that me and my friend's always looked forward to. The clothing wasn't too exciting either. I like the clothing that represented San Francisco clearly. With a big San Francisco or the bridge, something indicative that this was the San Francisco race. There wasn't too much of that this year. So, in year past where I've had to calm myself from spending so much, this year I only bought 1 thing. Oh well, better for my pockets. But, I did splurge on the anniversary series shoes. Of course in a Tiffany blue color.

Now for my race report. I can say that I actually trained a little for this race. With so many hills, I forced myself to do at least one 8 miler before the run. Thankfully, I forced myself to run 8.64 miles around Lake Merced the week before. This totally helped! Race morning was a lot warmer than expected. Yes, it was cold, but it didn't have that brisk bite that we've grown accustom to expect. I had a thin shirt that I planned to throw away and covered myself with a garbage bag, that I got rid of much earlier than expected. I was actually scared that it would warm up too quickly and that I wouldn't have such a great run. I don't really like running in the heat. But, the weather was perfect all the way through. It wasn't too hot or too cold. Perfect running weather for me. And I was just wearing my Running Divas SF tank. I started the race with my Running Diva SF crew. And throughout the race, like always we separated. I started the race a little quickly and settled in around mile 3. I was at a really good pace. Mile 6 the dreaded hill, the worst hill in all the race. I felt good. Like always, I kept my head down and tried to keep pace on the hill. It's so hard to do so when the walkers are in your way. Note to all newbies, "WALKERS ON THE RIGHT!" (I'm going to make a video on running etiquiette) Anyway, I was able to take the hill and refilled my water bottle after the hill. I kept treking through and knew mile 8 was coming. My favorite mile, which happens to be the Kaiser mile. They give out baby wipes to wipe your face and oranges at this marker. Oranges are sooooooo refreshing. And wiping off the salt on your face feels pretty damn good too. Mile 9 - all down hill from here baby. At mile 10, as you are coming down you see the beach and on a clear day you can see the finishline. There's also a timing post at mile 10, I did the math and noticed that I was at about 2 hours. I was right on time with my 12 min pace. Woo Hoo!!! So, I charged down the hill with all intention of beating my time. At mile 11, I noticed, I was a little behind pace, so I picked it up. And coming in the straight away, I picked it up even more. I officially came in at 2:37:46. I shaved 7 minutes of my time from last year! YEAY!!!

I didn't feel overly exerted. My muscles didn't seize up, no exhaustion headache. I felt good. And today, I'm not super sore. I'm thinking of heading right back in to the gym today.

The 10 year anniversary limited edition shoes
Running Divas SF





RunMeter App


This year's necklace


Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Nike Fuel Band...my POV

I've had my Nike Fuelband for quite some time now.  And I'd say I've gotten the hang of things for myself.  Most people ask me if it's worth the $150?  Or how I like it, what it does?

I guess for someone who's pretty active like me it's some sort of investment.  Like a runner that pays up to $300+ for their Garmin.  For those of you not in the know, a Garmin (yes the same brand that makes navigation systems) is a watch, that can tell you your heart rate, how long you've run, how far, your pace...etc etc etc.  The Fuelband is a bracelet, that lights up with the time, calories burned, how many steps you've taken, and your "fuel."  This is basically your activity level during the day.  And to me, getting to see my activity level day to day is rewarding.  So yes, for me it is worth it.

I can tell you for me, all I really look at, at the end of the day is my activity level, or my "Fuel."  Did I make my goal, and how much further did I pass it.  And, sometimes at what time of the day was I the most active.  And, when you make milestones, like the best Wednesday you've had so far, or hitting your goal 7 days in a row, you earn badges and a little man dances for you.  A cheap thrill to end the night and a cute little pat on the back.

This was the day that I ran a half marathon.  This shows, I was most active in the earlier part of the day, while I was running it.  And not very active afterward. 

This shows me that I went wayyy beyond my goal of 3000.  Here's one of the badges that I've won.

And here is the little man dancing for me.


For those of you that want to know how accurate it is, I'd say for the fuel count it is pretty damn good.  I know that if I have a pretty active day at work, where I was walking a lot and I hit the gym, I'll get around 4500.  By the way, and you can set your own goal.  And I know some people that look at their band throughout the day and see that they are a little behind, so they throw in an extra workout just to hit their goal.

Now, accuracy of the steps and calories...I don't really pay attention to the calorie count on any of devices like this, because although it can track your activity level, it doesn't know that intensity that your are doing it at.

As for the steps, if I'm going for a run I'll track it on my RunMeter App.  That has proven to be pretty darn accurate for me.  The Fuelband however is not.  Because I don't use that feature at all, I don't care.  But, people always ask me so, I decided to see.  One day after an 8.63 mile run I decided to sync my band to see what it said I did.  At that point it said I only accumulated 7.4 miles.  And the night of my last half marathon, it said I only accumulated 12.8 miles for the whole day.  And I know for damn sure I went over 13.1 miles.  Thankfully, when mileage is important to me, I have over avenues to explore.

Below is the RunMeter app I use telling me that I ran 8.63 miles.  Beneath that is the Fuelband app telling me that I've only accumulated 7.4 miles by that time.




Any other negatives?  One big negative for me when I first was researching it was you can't swim with it.  Boo!  Being that I love the water, and if I ever decide to do a triathlon again, I won't be able to track my activity while swimming. 

And, it does have a tendency to break.  I have an idea of what happened the first time.  The second time it just wouldn't charge up again.  So, yes I'm on my third one.  But, the redeeming factor is that it's never been a hassle to exchange.

Like I said, for me and my purposes, I'm very happy with it.

Monday, August 5, 2013

San Francisco Giants Half Marathon 08.04.13


Yesterday, I ran the San Francisco Giants Half Marathon for the 3rd time.  And, I'm proud to say that I actually did some training for this race! lol

They did change the course up just a tad, but for the most part you start in front of AT&T park, run along the Embarcadero, past Ghiradelli, through the Marina and Chrissy Field to right under the bridge and turn around and go back.

I started to get my Sunday run routine in order as soon as I noticed the date was getting closer.   And, I got an 8.63 mile run 3 weeks ago, so I was feeling pretty good about race.  I don't really get any race jitters for runs anymore.  After 5 years, I think it's just about routine now.

I started the race and was a little worried b/c my knee wasn't feeling right a couple of days prior.  I even took a break from my regular gym time starting Thursday.  So, I ran will the littlest of caution.  I was going to finish this race regardless.  By the time I crossed the starting line, I noticed that 6 minutes had already gone by on the clock, but of course, I also started my RunMeter app.  So, I was off.

I didn't stop until about mile 6 or 7 to refuel.  By this time we were along Chrissy Field right by the trampoline and rock climbing place.  And I was off again.  When I got to the turn around point, I noticed the clock read 1:19:xx.  I thought to myself, "Whoa!  I'm making good time."  I continued to do the math, 1:19 minus the 6 minutes from the start time...if I continue at this rate I'll be done at 2:26...we'll call it 2:30 b/c I know I tend to get a little slower between mile 10 and 11.

I stopped again around mile 8 or 9 to refuel again, by this time we already at the piers on Embarcadero.  I still had about a third left in my bottle, but I didn't want to run out later down the line and I just wanted to be prepared.

At mile 10, they had another clock and this time it read just over 2 hours.  Again, I did the math.  If I'm running about 12 minute miles, I should get in at just over 2:30.  And even if I slow to at 15 minute pace, I'll still get in at 2:45.  Ok, only 3 miles left...keep it up!

At mile 11, I felt my muscles start to tighten.  Only 2 more freaking miles!  At this point, you just go on auto pilot, and make sure your legs just keep moving.  Anything to keep it up. 

As I ran up the sidewalk toward the park, all I'm looking for is the open fence in the back of the park.  Where is this damn fence! lol  You can hear the announcer.  Ok almost there.  You see the people turn in and now you are really almost there!  As you get in the park you see the people in the bleachers and take the park in and see the finish line.  And as I cross, I look at the clock.  No way, does the clock really read 2:36?  Minus 6...what!   I finished in 2:30!!!  Then I finally remembered to stop my  run app.  And that reads 2:31.  Whoa!  I PB'd!

Later, I found out that the times were already posted.  So, we all checked our times.  I officially came in at 2:30:47.

My Replica Ring Medal

The Running Divas #runningdivasf 

me and my medal

The first person I saw when I finished, the running divo! lol Arther

The turn two award, for running both the San Jose Giants Run and the San Francisco Giants Run

Monday, June 3, 2013

San Jose Giants 5 Mile & 5k

Looks like this is going to be our annual family run day. We did this run last year and the parentals wanted to do it again this year, so I registered all of us again. The parentals did the 5k and Janice and I did the 5 mile. Cool little run for all of us to do together. Maybe I can reel in some other family members next year. I like to think I'm a good healthy influence.

The bottom picture is of my official tag time.  I came in at 52:04 with an average pace of 10:24.  I came exactly 20 seconds faster than last year.  I must say, I'm consistent! 

Here's the familia

The Medal!


My official chip time

Sunday, May 19, 2013

May 18 - 19


Saturday, May 18th basically consisted of me getting my ass beat. Lol  I participated in my very first Muay Thai smoker.  

This was obviously not her first rodeo.  And she had a good 10 lbs on me.  She got in a lot of good hits, but I must say that I did get some licks in. I stayed engaged and lasted all three rounds.  Thank you to everyone for the encouragement. I finally watched the footage today, and it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.  It was definitely a good experience and I'm glad I got my feet wet.  

Don't worry there will be more smokers in my future.


Today, Sunday, May 19th was the 107th Annual Bay to Breakers 12k.  So, even though I was feeling a tad bit defeated from yesterday, I got my ass out of bed early and went out for this run.  It was a beautiful day in the city.  And as I promised, I wore my "Stay Strong Boston" shirt.  

I was a little nervous, seeing that my last run which was a couple of weeks ago, only a 4.5 miller around Lake Merced proved to be a little tougher than normal. But, I went out there and did pretty well. I normally average around 1:30 and expected to come in around 1:35.  When I looked at my RunMeter app it read 1:29.  Needless to say I'm quite proud of myself.  I can't wait to see the official time.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

My Prayers to Everyone Affected by the Boston Marathon Bombings

I was on my way home from a weekend vacation when I first heard about the bombings.  Immediately, I was saddened.  But, when I saw the footage and was following the coverage on the plane I was on the verge of tears.  I don't know if it's b/c I'm a runner myself, or that I'm older and I seems like I have a heavier heart.  But, my prayers go out to everyone that has been affected by this.

To be a part of any marathon is such an exciting event, for everyone, the spectators, the runners...really EVERYONE!  The runners train like crazy and race day is the day where you see where your training gets you.  The supporters and volunteers are as much a part of your day as you and the course.  Everyone works together and the camaraderie that everyone has for each other is just beautiful.  As you run, you can hear, "GOOD JOB," "KEEP IT UP," claps, bells, yelling and hooting from everywhere...the spectators, the volunteers, and the runners.  You read motivational sayings, on signs and the backs of shirts and sometimes you just yell it to yourself.  Anything to keep you moving.

And the runner's high you get from crossing the finish line and being adorned by your medal.  It's a high that you won't ever forget.  And really I think that's what gets people hooked.  You're never gonna do just one marathon.

But, to think that was all taken away along the finish shoot.  And seeing the runner go down as the explosion happened just broke my heart.  I will say though, I was elated to hear that, that older gentleman you see go down in the footage got right back up and finished.  Now, that's a runner for you! 

And, I am truly thankful for everyone that didn't hesitate to assist.  Letting people into their homes and using their phones, jumping in and helping anyone they could.  Thank you!

My prayers go out to you Boston.  I think I'll have to wear a Boston shirt during my next run as a tribute to everyone that ran.  Maybe one day I'll be good enough to qualify for the Boston Marathon.  One can only hope!

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

01.08.13 accessories for the day

most of these are repeats.  but i really liked my necklace which is a new addition, so i decided to post all my accessories for the day (on instagram).  and since people will probably ask where they are from i decided to write it here.  i didn't want my comment to be extremely long

the houndstooth scarf is a fairly new addition too.  i got this from one of my best friend's mom's.  she was selling them for $15 i think.

the leaf necklace, the new addition, was from forever 21 for like $5.  The longer chain had a charm on there that i didn't really like. so, i took it off and now wear it like this. 

the top bracelets, you've seen many many times.  they are from my last trip to the philippines.  the black bracelet is actually my nike fuelband.  that baby was $150.

the watch, is a vintage watch that doesn't even work.  it's my mom's and i love it.  the sidecross and the faux turquoise skulls were $10 from my friend's store called 31rax in the mission. 

my famous radio ring is from Swatch.  From the "Feel the Beat" line.  one of my wishes is to find the matching necklace which is a turntable.  b/c really the ring is a mixer.

the earrings, i got a long time ago and i can't remember for the life in me where they were from.  i want to say forever21 though.


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random makeup look

i never posted this make up look that i did a couple of months ago.  i was going out one night and decided to play.  i hadn't played with my eyeshadows for awhile and i had extra time so this is the look i came up with.

Let me see if I can try to remember colors I used.

crease - Urban Decay Naked2 Palette Tease
corner - the purple from the Burlesque set by Smashbox
lid - is a aqua green color from a Crown Brush palette

liquid eyeliner - Radium by Urban Decay
pencil for the waterlines - Binge by Urban Decay

eyebrows - Wet n Wild eye brow kit

lips - Wet n Wild 907C from the matte collection

mascara - Mally volumizing mascara

blush - I'm not sure what I used.  I think I used blush from my BH Cosmestics blush palette

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