On the Run: fitness made simple

Yosemite, where you can hike under a rainbow. 

Panorama Trail in Yosemite was simply amazing.

Hiking Panoramic Trail to Glacier Point and make to Yosemite Valley. 11 miles round trip, including a grueling and steep 4 miles down hill, peak elevation of 7214 ft. It was an amazing experience with waterfalls, rivers, and some of the best views in the world. But views don’t come easy!

Hey everyone I’m hiking in Yosemite this weekend! Scrambled through an old rock slide yesterday and today my group is doing Nevada Falls, pizza (I hear theres salad and light cheese options) at Camp Curry, and star gazing in the meadows!

Oh the places you can see if you only try!

Instagramming with username surfnrunnr!

Bye Death Valley…you were pretty awesome.

Hi everyone, I just wanted to share with you something that makes me smile everyday. This is my favorite tree in the world which I admire everyday on my walk to class. There’s more patches of orange day after day. Seeing this once a day is enough to lift my spirits. Doesn’t take much. 

Don’t worry so much about a setback or a crappy outcome! I tell myself, “Hey well, you win some, you lose some.” Just get yourself out there, apply for a lot of positions, find out more information, and do your best!

I got bad news from my favorite med school and was a little shaken and discouraged…I was thissss close to skipping working-out. But exercise is the BEST thing (next to talking to your mom) when you’re frustrated or upset. Despite it being late in the day and about to get dark in less than an hour, I decided “The hell with it, I’ll just get it out of my system.” So I did hill repeats to feel alive and energized again! Sprinting hills »> punching a pillow/crying/complaining.

And what do you know?

After I was done, I received an email telling me I got into the other school I LOVED! The very same school that was my screen-saver 4 years ago lol (yes I’m crazy, but I thought you already knew that?)

I just wanted to share with you how exercise helps me cope with life and not just physical appearances =)

Hello 2012!

Although every new day is a fresh start…there’s nothing like the momentum at the beginning of a new year. I hope these goals can apply to you as well. For me, these mean: 

1. Set daily schedules: For the next 8 months, I’m sort of free-lancing and exploring various topics. In order to finish my projects & combat laziness, I’ll have to time-manage as meticulously as when I was juggling college/research/volunteering. 
2. Establish healthy habits in new settings: I just moved back with home to spend time with my family before medical school. There’s A LOT of white rice, breads, & desserts which make overeating really easy. My family also eats dinner really late which has been causing me to graze until they are ready to sit down (9:00pm…). Also, I deliberately signed up for an 8:00am Spanish class to force myself to find new times to exercise. I always exercise in the mornings, but know that my future schedule will not always allow me to do so. Therefore, I want to get used to taking a detour from my day to exercise!…I’ll be moving once more in Fall 2012 and will have to adjust all over again. 
3. Develop a hobby: Music!!! I’m taking piano lessons with my old teacher who I studied with from 5th-12th grade. Also, I joined a chamber ensemble & an Advanced Master Class at a local community college. One of my biggest fears in singing in public…sooo I decided to take Beginning Voice at my local community college as well! 
4. Show greater care for others: I’m planning to volunteer as a camp counselor for a couple weeks. But, I’m trying to focus on becoming a more understanding and compassionate person who never says anything that hurts others. This begins with my mom, my dad, and my brothers. 
5. Explore a profession: I’m taking Beginning Spanish in order to communicate with many patients at free clinics I’ll be working with next year. I plan to learn more about current healthcare topics & contact local physicians for shadowing opportunities. Time to be a model citizen, Miss Geraldine!  

Now who’s with me?! What are some of your goals for this year? 

Happy New Year to all you lovely people <3 

Today is 11/11/11, a symbolic day filled with weddings, wishes, and Adam Sandler movies. But remember that each day only exists once in history. Therefore, everyday is special. What is tomorrow? To me, its another chance, another opportunity, another test. No matter what your struggles are, I believe that if you push on until tomorrow, there’s always the chance that you will overcome your greatest obstacles. As long as there’s tomorrow, there’s hope. 

Enjoy the rest of the warm/moderate weather while you can! Wow, fall outside of California is breathtaking. 

Madison, Wisconsin 

(I have to stop taking stalking pictures…)