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Today is my birthday!  I’m 34.  I immediately start to think of my age in terms of running (is that strange?).  This is my last year in the 30-34 age group and (the best part) I get 5 more minutes added to my BQ time.  Let me explain…according to the B.A.A., “qualifying times are based upon each athlete’s age on the date of the Boston Marathon in which they are participating”.  Since I’m clearly not running Boston in 2011, my first chance would be 2012 and I would be 35 on the day of the race.  That means I need a 3:45 qualifying time…as of now.  The B.A.A. had some changes in leadership this year and there is some talk of changing the qualifying times.  We’ll see.  I’m not even focusing on BQing this year (of course, I’d welcome it with open arms if it did happen).  I’m just trying to get my marathon pace below 9:00 and try for 3:50 at the NJ Marathon.

I’m in San Fran for my birthday!  Matt asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday and I said “go to SF”!  It’s been almost 3 years since my last visit and I’ve been itching to get back.  This is the BEST birthday present.

Back to turning 34.  I’m fine with it.  I certainly don’t feel 34.  My friend Kristin said that’s because I don’t have kids…and that may very well be true.  My 34-year-old self could kick my (drunken) 24-year-old self to the curb!

My 30s have been great so far (I included highlights below!).  Fun like my 20s but also fulfilling, if that makes any sense.  And my definition of fun has changed (I know that’s a sign of getting older!).  Movies and pizza on a Friday night vs. going to a bar.  I still like to go out and have fun but I hated crowded and loud bars.  I prefer dinner and drinks and nice conversation 🙂

1.  Getting engaged (June 2008).  Matt and I dated for 10 years before getting engaged.  He proposed on St. Joe’s campus and completely surprised me.  It was absolutely perfect.

2.  Buying our first house (June 2009).  We looked at almost 40 houses.  We saw our house on a Friday night and put a bid in the next morning.  We knew what we wanted.  And we love it!  We moved in 6 weeks before our wedding, which was a little crazy.  Sorry, I don’t really have any good pics but promise I’ll post some when all the painting is finished.

3.  Getting married (July 2009).  BEST day of my life.  I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it.  We had beautiful weather and everything went smoothly.  We danced the night away with family and friends.  I wish I could do it again every year (not the planning, just the reception!).

4.  Becoming an RRCA-certified running coach (April 2010).  I’ve coached family and friends but wanted to make it “official”.  That weekend in Boston was the first step in doing something I’ve always wanted to do.  Hopefully soon I’ll launch a coaching business.

5.  Getting Hawk (May 2010).  I’ve always wanted a dog of my own (I come from a family of dog lovers).  Matt was not a dog lover (but not a hater either).  It didn’t take long for Matt to come around.  He’s smitten with Hawk.  Hawk makes us laugh on a daily basis and we love walking in the door and being greeted by 25 lbs of cuteness.

6.  Breaking 4:00 hours in the Steamtown Marathon (October 2010).  This was huge for me mentally.  I kind of got stuck in the 4:10 range for awhile and was dying to break through.  I ran my first marathon at 27 but didn’t really “train” until my 30s.  Now I know what works and what doesn’t and how hard I can push myself.

7.  Going to Europe (September 2009).  This was our honeymoon.  Since neither of us had been to Europe and we couldn’t decide on a single country to visit, we took a cruise.  The cruise itself was hokey and cheesy but we saw so much!  It was like a European sampler.  We loved the Amalfi Coast of Italy and Santorini, Greece.

8.  Going to Australia (October 2010).  This was a dream vacation for both of us.  We stayed in Sydney, Melbourne, and Port Douglas (Great Barrier Reef area).  Unreal…and the trip of a lifetime.

And with that I’m off to do some birthday celebrating in gorgeous San Fran!