My top 10 of 2010.

I swear I haven't just been eating Tofurkey and shopping my entire holiday vacation. I've been doing the daily p90x....

Kenpo! So fun.

And spending some quality time at the Y...

And not just in the change room, I swear!

 I'm sticking to the doctor's orders and not running, but the elliptical doesn't count, right? Not quite the same, I know, but I'll take what I can get. The bikes there have little TVs attached, so I've been watching things like Wall-E, Much's Top 10 of 2010 and enjoying the Discovery Channel. Yesterday I also hit up an aquafit class with some of the ladies and it was really fun!

I was inspired by The Blue Eyed Runner's year in review post and watching countdowns on cable to create a recap of 2010 myself! So without further ado, my top 10 moments of 2010:

10) The Wedding!

Andy & Michelle got married on Thanksgiving weekend, and we flew back for a whirlwind 48 hours of wedding festivities and fun. Nature's wedding present to them was one of the warmest days of the year - and in October! Plus, it was my first real wedding!

9) (Photos of the previous event brought to you by...) A return to the world of digital photography.

Before I went to Journalism school, I was a newspaper girl. And before I was a newspaper girl, I worked at Black's Photo. Before that, I helped start up a photography club at my high school. I've been in love with SLR cameras for a decade, yet I'd never had my very own until this year. I was so so lucky to be given my own because of #8.

8) (My parents were proud of me for...) Graduating from Journalism School

I biked over to pick up my MA of J diploma a couple of weeks after the formal convocation. Getting an extra long bike ride and half a day off work was my version of big celebrations :)

7) Joining The Fighting Koalas & Bought a Bike Trainer (aka getting serious about triathlon training)

How great it is to bike indoors anytime I want to! I'm so excited to be working with other people and getting proper instruction for the sport I have fallen in love with. I've never been professionally trained in any athletics, so it's a whole new experience for me. And I truly believe it will bring my performance up to a new level, plus help me achieve my increasing set of goals.

6) First Freelancing Gig

I have yet to receive copies of the magazine that my first long form article was published in. But I will put up pictures when I do! I'm just excited to have my name in print again, and get to talk to so many interesting new people. I love working on projects that end up in print.

5) First Race & Race Medal

I was number 777 at the Run for Retina in London last April. And I LOVED it. This 10k event marked my entry into the wonderful world of racing. I never looked back. This first step led to a personal challenge of doing 10 races in 2010, which is another "top" of 2010, because I did it!

4) My 25th birthday in the land of my ancestors

As I reached the quarter-century mark of life, I was celebrating in a place where it is simply amazing to be alive. The scenery was just so stunning there, the people so nice, and the adventures so epic. In five days there, we went scuba diving and jumped off a cliff into the Silfra cleft that separates the American and European plates, rode Icelandic horses across lava fields, took a dip in the Blue Lagoon, went caving, looked for whales in the ocean, celebrated Cultural Day with the Icelanders and so so much more. And I made an awesome running friend to do all of these fun things with. Time of my life!

3) Wee Awesome Sister Visit

Emtastic and her dreads came to visit me in Ontario for September long weekend. We, as we always do, had the best time together - here in a pioneer village and hiking a reservoir!

2) The Marathon

Did I tell you I signed up for this in February, before I'd ever run a race? But when an advertisement for Team D asked me if I loved to run while raising money for a good cause and seeing the world, how could I say no? It really was the best adventure with a wonderful group of people. 

 1) Conquering the Tri & Accompanying a Champion

The expression I'm wearing in all the pictures above says it all. I have never felt so victorious, invigorated, alive and joyful! Not only was this my first try-a-tri, it was my first open water swim, my first continuous 300 meters AND Emazing (I'm surrounded by awesome Em's in my life) won her age group! It was truly a spectacular day.

In 2010, I had a lot of firsts in my life from academics to work to athletics. I'm happy to have set some big goals for myself and reached them, and I'm so excited to see what kind of adventures and new firsts 2011 will bring :)