This blog used to be a vehicle for telling family and friends about my marathon training. I had raised money during my first marathon, and I felt indebted to keep track of my progress to all those who had donated. 

That was 2010. Now it is 2012. And wow, how things have changed.

That first marathon was a start of what I hope to be a lifelong journey of running. I had run a little bit in high school, followed by 4 years of rowing in college…but these previous athletic endeavors were nothing compared to the marathon.

The timing of my first marathon couldn’t have come at a better yet more horrible time. First and foremost, two weeks before that marathon, I was dumped. Dumped from an over two-year relationship, plus the several years we had been friends before then. There was no warning. It was not sugar-coated. It was simply a dinner date, and then, “Mary, sometimes I think we should just break up,” as I was dropped off at home.

The tears from that wasted relationship lasted FAR longer than they should have.

Also during that marathon, I had undergone an absolutely disastrous roommate situation. Let’s just say that when your future roommate looks like she should be an alcoholic Playboy Bunny, she probably is, and you should stay far, FAR away.

That sucked.

I also went through a job change, going from a place where I found myself extremely unhappy, to a place that was very intimidating to me, yet very exciting and a much better fit for me than the prior.

Job move = best thing I ever did.

But on top of a breakup, a Playboy Bunny, and a job change, I was training completely alone for my first marathon in Philadelphia. By the time I showed up to that starting line, I had been emotionally wrecked, physically exhausted, and could confidently say that I knew what it was like to hit rock bottom. All I wanted to do was finish, and finish strong.

I ran a 3:44. It was awesome.

I’d like to think that the marathon of 2010 was a huge turning point for me. Honestly, the main thing that got me through the last 10k so quickly was the fact that I was so pissed off from everything that had happened to me over the past few months. That marathon proved to me that I could do anything I wanted to, with or without support. I was way stronger—physically and mentally—than I had ever been before, even physically stronger than rowing a 7:35 on a 2k in college, and even mentally stronger than sitting on the erg and pulling a 2:07 split over the course of an hour.

…the erg never really was for me anyway, even though I did trick my mind senior year that I loved it.

Since that marathon, I have met the love of my life and now-fiance (ironically, on a first date next to the location of where my previous relationship had its last date), grown successful in my career at my then-new job, learned who my friends really are, and developed relationships and friendships with people I never before imagined being friends with.  Some of these new friends helped me to run my second marathon this past November, again in Philadelphia.

This time, I ran a 3:36. It was even more awesome.

But I digress. The reason I’m starting up this blog again is because I have a lot to say, and I have a lot to share. I am going to be blogging primarily about 4 different things:

1. Running and training

2. Food

3. Fashion (+ occasionally beauty)

4. Wedding!

Yes, I know, I am soooo cliché blogging about Food and Fashion. Suck it. I am a really phenomenal cook (I’m totally modest, can’t you tell?) and I work in Marketing at Michael Kors, which is a BAD ASS company, and in case anyone is checking the NYSE stock growth lately of luxury brands, KORS is on top, after only recently becoming public a few months ago.

Basically I’m telling you that I’ve got some good eats to share and some decent fashion advice on top of some insane running training stories (thanks to the incredible Team Sasquatch and Mr. Josh Maio himself) and wedding planning stories. I’m excited to share everything and I’m also excited to read other blogs a bit more frequently to get inspiration and ideas.

So here we go…here I am again…itsaMARYthon.