June 30, 2014

Hi I'm Lauren. {thoughts after Fitbloggin'}

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook you saw that I had a fabulous time at Fitbloggin' in Savannah this past weekend. After a delayed flight and long drive last night, I'm dragging a little this Monday morning. At the same time I am feeling very motivated and inspired by the weekend. 

I'll do a Fitbloggin' recap and photo dump later this week, but I today I'm sharing all the thoughts swirling in my head from the conference. I met so many awesome people and heard so many inspiring stories. I was given a lot  to think about and reflect upon. It's a weird world to be in. I have real life friends, blogger friends, and total strangers reading my blog. I love sharing snippets from my life and stories about my training and races with others. 

Even if you're a brand new or long-time reader I thought I'd reintroduce myself to you.


This is a snapshot into what's swirling in my brain now. It's not everything, but it's a little picture of who I am.  I typed, proofread, and hit publish so it's of the moment.



Hi I'm Lauren, and I blog at Breathe Deeply and Smile

I am a strong female. 
I am a friend,daughter,sister,and girlfriend.
I am a runner.
I am a marathoner.
I am a part-time Crossfitter.
I like doing a little bit of everything that sometimes it's hard to strongly commit to only a few things. 
I will run Boston one day. 
I can be quiet.
I am shy, but that doesn't mean I don't want to talk.
I get worried about what other people think of me even though it shouldn't matter.
I am observant.
I love panda bears.
I also love baby animals (puppies & kittens included!).
I like the word hard, play hard mentality. 
I love fruits and foods that fuel my body.
I also love french fries,ice cream, pizza, sushi, whiskey, and craft beer. 
I will never pass up dessert. 
I believe life is too short not to enjoy it.
I hope to inspire at least one person to go after what they want in life. 
I try to learn to love my body as it is right now. Not if or when
I cherish friendships.
I like hugs. 
I will not settle in life. 
I am a Francophile.
I enjoy time alone but also love being included in groups.  
I try to mostly eat clean because I need to fuel my body, but everything in moderation is how I roll.
I limit gluten due to how my body responds but am not gluten-free.
I don't follow an eating plan-food should not be stressful. 
I am not paleo, low-carb, vegetarian, vegan, or raw. 
I am an emotional person. 
I sometimes don't believe in myself and doubt myself too much. 
I dream big because I don't really know what I'm capable of. 
I blog because I like sharing my stories and connecting with others.
I like working with brands and trying new products. 
I don't force blog posts.
I don't post everyday or every other day, I do what works for me.
I don't share everything about my life, just little parts of it, and intend to keep it that way. 
I don't talk about products I don't actually like and give honest reviews.
I don't know how much of a business this is.
I don't think this will ever be a full-time gig. 
I don't think I'll ever reach pro-blogger status like some of the people I met at Fitbloggin' and that's okay.
I'm still figuring out what I want to do with my life. 
I believe in love, at the end of the day. 
I believe life is too short to not do what you want-the time is now!
I want to be happy- too many people aren't. 
I'm still figuring out what that means. 

The perfect souvenir from Savannah

If you could describe yourself in one word what would it be? How do you reflect after being inspired?

32 comments:

  1. Lauren! Nice to meet YOU! I love your blog because I feel like you are real and after reading this post, I love you even more. Breathe deeply and smile indeed! xo

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    1. Thanks for reading-it means a lot that my message and the real "me" gets across :)

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  2. Great post! Wasn't this weekend really inspiring? I feel so grateful that this conference happens, it was an amazing time to connect & reconnect. Wishing you an awesome year!

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    1. Thanks so much! It was a great weekend to self-reflect and connect with others!

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  3. Love this post! If I could describe myself in one word, it would be either adventurous or resilient. I love to try new things and I never give up on things that I truly want!

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  4. It was great to talk to you at Fitbloggin (and see you out running!)

    I'm perpetually working on my happiness levels (and constantly redefining happiness!)

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    1. It's definitely a work in progress. I hope to talk to you more next year and maybe get in a run together!

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  5. I love this post!! And that bee ring is adorable. I'm so glad we were roomies!

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  6. Hi Lauren - so great to meet you this weekend. I am glad to see that you had a great time in Savannah. I hope to see you in Denver 2015.

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    1. It was great to meet you too! I'm already planning on heading out to Denver next year!

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  7. Sorry I didn't get to meet you at Fitbloggin! Maybe next year!

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    1. Definitely let's meet next year! The time flies by so fast at the conference!

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  8. wooooo love this! and see you very, very soon :)

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  9. Love that ring! If I had to pick one word...hmmmm....I think it would be JOY! Lots of it and I try to spread it around as much as possible. Can't wait for your recap and photo dump!

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    1. Joy is a FABULOUS choice! I'm all for spreading it around!

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  10. Lauren, I'm glad I got to hang out with you this weekend. Like I told you in Savannah, you are my type of girl! I look forward to becoming better friends with you through the years!

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    1. Haha, loved meeting you too and glad we're friends and can stay in touch through the internet!

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  11. I love this!!! It was so great to meet you at FitBloggin! I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one who felt like doing a ton of self-reflection on the ride home from Savannah! Also, how did we not connect over the fact that you're a Francophile too??

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    1. Great meeting you too and um that totally means we need to hang out again or something. I heart everything French!

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  12. It was nice to meet you on our 10K run on Sunday! I love that you shared all your initial thoughts immediately after the event. Looking forward to reading the rest of your recap. Happy running and good luck training for your marathon! xo

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    1. Thanks for stopping by! It was great meeting you too!

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  13. I feel the same way you do about blogging. I am still trying to figure that out and what happyness means too. I think your definition of happiness is constantly evolving. All I know right now is that I want to think back on my life some day and smile knowing that I lived it the best way I knew how.
    Great post btw!

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    1. I agree with what you said-blogs, life, happiness are always constantly changing! Thanks for reading!

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  14. So great to have had a chance to meet you in Savannah, dear! Excited to follow your story and learn more in weeks to come! xoxo

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    1. Great meeting you and making a new blogger friend!

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  15. Hello Lauren! I've really enjoyed reading your blog. I'm on a quest to lose 160 pounds, and being able to read everyone's recaps of FitBloggin '14 has been SO inspiring! Thank you for sharing your journey with newbies like myself. :)

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    1. Thank you for the lovely comment and for reading! I love how inspiring everybody is and we're all on different journeys. You WILL achieve your goals!

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