A Healthier Me

A weight was lifted off my shoulders today. I aired some things to a good friend and I feel alot better. I think that forgiving is so healthy for someone. Actually, today has been full of health-first a healthy lunch and good conversation with my ENGAGED friend, Jen. We've been through alot together and after telling her how I feel about some problems I am ready to put them behind me. I know an angel is telling me to do so, and also to start moving on. One thing I learned is that life does go on, even when I dont understand it. No matter how bad mine is, the world is still turning and the sun will rise and set, so I need to start turning with it.

J squared back in the day

After lunch I had a personal training session. I decided to go back since I have about 6 weeks left in Gainesville. I want to take advantage of it since my weight loss is taking off. With my endurance team and now training, I'm (hopefully) bound to get to my goal soon, only 18 pounds to go!!

Dinner at Chipotle didnt satisfy me due-to the man with the heavy hand with the hot salsa-so I had the bright idea to have Yogaberry. I've been twice, but never really experimented with flavors and toppings. Tonight I had the chocolate with strawberries, and omg-delish!! I have seen the yogaberry light now! Ok, so now off to bed, I'm starting to get a sore throat and I'm hoping to sleep it off. I do NOT have time to be sick, not with a weekend at home with some of my best friends planned! Cepacol throat spray here I come, or maybe some gargling with warm salt water.

pics from the weekend

grad announcement
racing to the finish line

pre-race

This weekend was just what the doctor ordered. I love relaxing weekends at home with the parents. With school quickly coming to an end and finals and essay deadlines approaching I just need to remember to breathe and take time for myself. Thats exactly what I did this weekend.

Saturday my mom and I got up for our "Walk a Mile in Their Shoes" 5K. The race itself was a bit unorganized with the start and course map, but it ended up being my best race yet! I finished with a time of 31:30, which is a huge improvement from my first 5k (39 min). I placed 6 out of 16 in my age group and was 72 out of 334 overall-not a bad day's work. After the race mom and I got ready to shop and do lunch. We went to Target and got some things I needed-new blowdryer, sports bras, a scale, the BlindSide dvd, and random toiletries. Then we went to lunch at Chipotle and headed home to watch the movie. From then on we spent the day relaxing-watching the movie, ordering dinner in with dad, and watching March Madness basketball games! Such a relaxing, yet productive day.

Sunday we started the day with a healthy breakfast and weekly weigh-in for my dad and I. Unfortunately, he gained a pound, but I lost 2, which was my goal for the week!! I was so excited for that and using my new scale (ohh the little things...). Then we headed out for a 3 mile run. We wanted to run farther, but the weather started looking bad so we headed home. After that my little sister came home and we went to lunch together and ran some errands which was nice. Once I got home I was roped into doing my graduation announcements. The whole family helped and we had a little assembly line working. I still cant believe its only a month away!

The drive home was boring as usual, but once I got home I was happy to see my puppy and boyfriend and have dinner with them. Ale House salad-yes please! We went to bed early and I was pretty refreshed to start the week. Though its Monday I'm hitting the gym and nutrition hard and hope to pull off another 2 lb loss this week! I know it will be diffiuclt, but after trying on bathing suits my goal seems closer, yet not quite here yet. I'm really hoping to be as close to my goal weight by graduation/cruise. For once I want to enjoy being in pictures and feel comfortable in a bikini. It has been a long time coming, so I'm really kicking it in gear!! Operation Beach Body here I come!!

TGIF

So happy its Friday. I had an uneventful morning in Gainesville (school/work) then I was on the road to Jacksonville. I love coming home on weekends, especially race weekends! My mom and I have a 5K tomorrow (after running the River Run I hope this is easy!) Either way we are running the "Walk a Mile in Their Shoes 5K" benefiting the Schulzbacher Center. Our two cheerleaders this week will be my dad and Manny (grandma).

Tonight we went and had our carbo dinner at Buca di Beppo and it was delicious! Spicy Chicken Rigatoni and green beans-YUM! The rest of my night will be pretty relaxing.

Oh and to rewind to yesterday--awesome endurance team class! We did some running drills, track running, then a workout (planks, lunges, squats, bridges) and boy am I feeling it today. My thighs are sore and I'm hoping they loosen up by tomorrow so I can run a good race. Overall, slow week but so excited that in about a month I will be graduating, cruising, and starting my future with some great work experience!

It's called Express...

Ok, so I have a bit of a rant to go off on. I had to run to Publix for Diet Green Tea (so addicted) and cereal after my work out tonight-which was awesome by the way! I ended up with Honey Nut Cheerios (just to try something new), fries for Cody, and ibuprofen-they were out of diet green tea, so sad. Either way I jump in the express line which CLEARLY reads, 10 items or fewer-it does not say 17 items or viewer! The family of 4 in front of me with their kids running around crying over candy decided the sign said 10 items or more. I mean thats just a little rude. When it takes 5-6 bags to get all your items in the express line, then you know youre in the wrong! I mean I had 3 things and the poor lady behind me kept checking her watch with her lone rotisserie chicken. Clearly if you come in quickly, you want to get your things and go. It was just a tad annoying tonight! Ok end rant-off to get ready for date night with Cody!

Slowww

So, this has been a very slow week so far. Pretty boring and uneventful, minus the Tuesday work drama (not even worth mentioning).

I know this week I'm supposed ot me kicking it into gear in the weight loss department, but I've been having a hard time finding the motivation. I didnt do much in terms of working out on Monday besides some dumbell work in my living and some ab exercises. Yesterday I decidedc to try 2 miles in my new Vibram running shoes. They told me to ease into my mileage since the shoes made me run different. So far so good, I ran my 2 miles in 22 minutes. After that I took the role of Susie Homemaker and went home to make dinner (chicken stir-fry) for Cody since he had a softball game that night. (He's on a co-ed league through work). Once he left I watched Biggest Loser and did some homework.

Today is another day with school and work. Cody and I are going running this afternoon and then having a date night to see She's Out of My League. Should be fun

New Shoes and a New Attitude!

This weekend was a bit of a rollercoaster. All started well on Friday night when Cody and I went out with some family to Gator Tales. Good people, good food, good drinks, not so good Saturday morning. I swear you lose some weight and stop drinking then 3 drinks puts you on your ass! NOT COOL!

Feeling sick and having a migraine didnt start my Saturday off so great. About 2 I started moving around and ran some errands with Danielle. (Cody's cousin) We ate, bought New Moon, makeup, and myself a new pair of running shoes. We also went looking for prom dresses for Danielle. Still not feeling 100% we came home and chilled out and watched New Moon. Seeing it again has got me hooked again and I HAVE to start reading Eclipse because I do not know the rest of the story (I know I'm the only person, even Cody knows). Anyway, the night went crazy from there. Danielle left, Cody came home and we decided to rush and I mean rush to fit in dinner and a movie. All the rushing got me a little anxious and I had a meltdown. I got upset, angry, then sad...very sad. Lately I get mad easily and I'm not mad at what I'm blowing up about. Apparently, anger is pain thats not dealt with and I have an idea of what my pain is...Jon. I go through phases, I'm happy, I'm sad, I miss him, I dont, I believe he's dead, I cant believe he's dead, its really messy. So Cody layed with me and I cried it out, sometimes I just need to. Then we were lame and played Uno, which I totally kick butt at!

the new shoes-Vibram Five Fingers

Today, I woke up feeling better, really motivated to take on the day. With my new running shoes, (funny looking-kind of, amazing-yes) I headed to the gym! FYI these things are machine washable, can get wet, and are totally good for your feet, I mean face it we are actually made to run barefoot and the more support in running shoes, the worse off we actually are. Ok-so I tested the shoes, had a good workout, cleaned the ENTIRE apartment, did 4 loads of laundry, met Cody for lunch, went grocery shopping, and did homework-whew I'm tired from just typing that! All the while Ash and I decided to get re-focused on our weight loss goals and be partners and keep each other accountable. I'm really excited about this because its so much easier when a friend is in it with you. Our goal-2lbs this week. I'm SUPPOSED to get up early and go to the gym...hmmm...we will find out in the morning!

Just Call me Betty Crocker

This morning after my routine of getting ready, having breakfast, making my lunch and getting my school stuff together I looked at the freezer and thought 'what to do for dinner'. I layed out some chicken, but seriously I am so sick of a protein, brown rice, and veggies. I wanted to do something different because I make the same 5-10 meals and I want to branch out. I found this recipe for zesty chicken on top of corn salsa. (eatbetteramerica.com) YUM!

After work and classes I got the ingredients and was so excited! Came home to a lovely surprise of 2 long-stemmed daisies (my fav flower). They are yellow, pink, and red. Cody got them just to say 'I love you', so sweet! So, back to dinner. I panic slightly when I'm traveling into new territory with anything in life-driving, cooking, you know the usual stuff, but I followed the recipe and might I say AMAZING!!!! It actually looked like this picture too! It has a chili powder, brown sugar, cumin rub on the chicken and the salsa is corn, kidney beans, red pepper, lime juice and salt! So delish! I made a little brown rice to go on the side, but it almost wasnt necessary. The whole meal with brown rice was 385 calories. I felt very accomplished after this tonight. Cody even gave it his seal of approval when he said "I could eat this again" meaning put it into our rotation (so lame, but true) of dinners I make. Ahh success!

What a Weekend!!

This weekend could not have been any better! First some pictures from Saturday's Gate River Run:

FRIDAY:

Mom and I went to the Runner's Expo and picked up our t-shirts and goodies for the GRR. After walking around and taking all the freebies, we headed to lunch. Getting everything made the race seem so real. After lunch we went home to sort through our stuff and mom's best friend/my second mom showed up. She ran with us. We had a pasta dinner and 1 glass of wine to calm the nerves. Once Cody got into town we all went to bed, or tired to, to prepare for the big day!

SATURDAY: GATE RIVER RUN RACE DAY!!

I got up almost instictively at 5:30 am which is un heard of for me. We choked down breakfast (peanut butter bagel and banana) and got ready for the race! Ashley and everyone showed up and we headed downtown to sit in traffic which did not calm my nerves. Once the race started though, the butterflies went away and I felt great. My body was cooperating after the Main Street Bridge and I was ready to rock the race. At about mile 8 I was dragging. I kept looking down and lost my breathing, but I was at the final point, the Hart Bridge (aka Green Monster). I slowed to a walk and then got so mad that I pushed myself over the bridge and across the finish line in under 2 hours, 1 hr and 58 minutes to be exact! What a runners high! To train so hard and finally do it was the most awesome feeling! Then my trainer Justin showed up at the post race party as a surprise to support me. This brought tears to my eyes because it showed that he actually cared outside of the gym about me and my goals. After a celebatory lunch with everyone at Hooters I went home showered and passed out. That night, sunburned and sore Cody and I went out for mexican/margaritas with Ashley and Brian. Fun night, amazing day!!! I'm a finisher of the Gate River Run!

SUNDAY:

Woke up feeling like I ran 9.3 miles. My ankle was def bothering me so no workout for me. Cody and Brian decided Ashley and I deserved a relaxing day, so they paid for a massage, pedicure, and lunch for us. The 1 hr massage was much needed! I felt so relaxed afterwards and my muscles thanked me. The pedicure was nice too, My feet def needed it after the many, MANY miles I've put on them these past 3 months of training. Then Cody and I decided to stay in Jax another night and head back Monday morning. Such a great ending to a perfect weekend!

So far starting school this week has not been fun, but I'm adjusting. The ankle is just now starting to feel better. Instead of running I tried a spin class today, and WOW was it more than I expected!! It was quite the workout, but much harder than I thought it would be. I got a good sweat and felt good leaving. Now to catch up on homework and watch my shows (LOVE me some Biggest Loser, SO inspiring!!)

My Rainbow on a Stormy Day!

I hate the rain, I mean I always have. I especially hate the rain when it wakes me up during the night because it is so loud on the skylight in our room. I knew when I woke up at 4 am, it would be one soggy day. I was right...but rain always means there's a rainbow...

It was so hard to get through work, even though I had a half day. I worked until 1 and then went home to pack for my weekend in Jacksonville. I got out of my Endurance Team training tonight (running clinic my ex-trainer started, guess we are back together) and got on the road at about 4 after having lunch with Cody. I hate traveling without him, but I packed up Sheila and off we went.

I got home and decided to do my last training run, only 2 miles (per GRR training schedule), but I rocked it. I pushed hard and did it in 19:46. It felt awesome to end on a high note. Then I walked another mile or so just to loosen my muscles and cool down. I guess I'm ready, I have to be.

Its been relaxing from there, mommy brought me a salad home for dinner from Ale House (one of my favs!) and we watched the Thursday shows. The best part of my day though was lunch with Cody. No, not just because we spent time together, but I got my graduation present, early. He paid for us to go on a....DRUM ROLL PLEASE.....
A 4 night cruise to the Keys and the Bahamas!!!!
He said I will just want to relax after graduating and before starting my internship, so he thought this was perfect. I am VERY excited and so thankful to have an amazing boyfriend like him. He has never cruised before and I have been once, with work, so it will be awesome to go together and just relax and make awesome memories!

So, thats my excitement for today. I'm a happy girl, happy but nervous. Cody will get here tomorrow after he works, so then with my support system in place I will be ready for Saturday. Oh and I'm going to the runners expo tomorrow, should make it feel real. Can't wait!!

Nervous Energy

So, as I've been mentioning, the Gate River Run is this Saturday. It is my first 15K, and the largest 15K in the United States! I've been using the River Run training schedule to train since January 4th running anywhere from 12-21 miles a week. This week though, race week, I hit a wall. I have had zero motivation to run let alone do much of anything. It could have something to do with the fact that it's spring break, but I talked to other people who re having the same issue this week. I think all of the training and energy I've put into this has come to a point and I need to get it out. I do have some nagging questions though...

What if my body doesnt cooperate? What if I get a cramp? Do I get water at every station, or every other station? What if I have to pee during the race? What if I just cant do it?? All these things are running through my mind as the big day approaches and its driving me crazy! This race means so much to me, so I just want to accomplish my goals (1. running without having to walk, maybe and 2. finishing in under 2 hrs) When I first started running my main goal was to be able to run this race. It has helped me so much with my body physically and mentally. I've lost weight and gotten so much healthier inside and out. Not to mention, this is my first race since Jon died. Being that my first race, the Marine Corp 5K, was for him 2 days before he deployed, this is super important. He told me he was proud of me for that first race (we both never thought I would be a runner), so I want him to know that this run is for him and to look down on me and be proud again. I guess I'm just ready for Saturday....I think...

The Wild Weekend!

Well, the weekend was amazing! I really think Cody had a great birthday! We started Friday by heading out to Jax around 8:30. We had a pretty relaxing night at home and went to bed early. First thing Saturday morning my best friend Ashley and I went out to run the bridges downtown. I'm not gonna lie I was very nervous about this since I had only trained a few times doing stadiums, but honestly it was awesome! My body felt great and cooperated and I think I had myself so psyched out that I never thought the bridges would be easy. That was the first time I felt like I could do the River Run. Then I spent time with Jon Davis and Courtney running around and getting things ready for Cody's party.

That night we all had an amazing time. Lots of drinks and shots were involved, but I think Cody felt important all night and that was my goal. It ended up being a VERY late night so Sunday (Cody's actual birthday) came early.

We went to breakfast Sunday morning with Cody's parents and mine. It was a good time. After breakfast we all felt so hungover and exhausted that we ate junk food and watched The Hangover all while laying around like bums. Then we decided it was cake time. I was especially proud of the cake I picked out for Cody, musical theme because he is so talented with his music. That night we had an amazing dinner together at Carrabbas. After that Cody just wanted to go home and relax. It was a calm night, but it was what he wanted to do, so all in all an amazing weekend!

This morning we got up at 7:30 and headed back to Gainesville since we both had to work. Work was boring and I was exhausted, so I ended up leaving at 4. I came home and took a nap and then headed to Publix. I stocked up and then came home to make a delicious, but healthy dinner; turkey sausage and peppers over brown rice...YUM! Now I think I should go make up for the run I didnt do today, River Run in 5 days!!!

Break Time!

Today was awesome, in the sense that it was my last day of classes and now its officially SPRING BREAK!

I'm so ready for the weekend, just one day of work tomorrow and then Cody and I are off to Jacksonville to celebrate Cody's 25th birthday!

After class today I came home and had an awesome 3 mile run. It's not much, but I've been using the River Run training schedule for the last few months, so whatever mileage it says, I run. It's amazing, the other day I was looking at pictures from my first 5k, the Marine Corp and what a difference and improvement I've made. It took me 41 minutes to run my first 5K, and now I run it in 32 minutes! I never noticed the change, but its so crazy how much I've improved. My whole life I've wanted to be the person who can just go out for a 3 or 4 mile run and I've never been able to do that. Heck I couldnt even run a mile and then at 45 lbs over weight it was even harder. Now to be a total of 25 lbs down and being able to run when I want is the greatest feeling. I'm seriously starting to gain myself back, and with all this tragedy lately I need me back.

Well, time for a night of Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice. Tomorrow is work and off to Jacksonville. This weekend will consist of celebrating my wonderful boyfriend and getting some more River Run training in! Woohoo!

What a crazy few days its been! I'll start with the weekend, I went home and Cody stayed in Gainesville for work of course. I had a great time with the family this weekend. Friday I went to dinner and out for drinks for one of my best friends Ashley's birthday. It was a great time as usual! Saturday got in a lot of shopping with the family and did lunch. I got some awesome new running gear, its funny that new running clothes make me want to run more! Then relaxed and watched one of my fav shows Bridezillas with mom. Sunday was my long run day, 7 miles! I got a bad cramp about mile 3 and walked a little, but I was determined to push through so I kept on running until I finished. With walking it took me 1 hr and 24 mins, not terrible.

This week has been all about midterms, 4 and 1 paper due! I'll be taking my final exam in about 45 minutes (I clearly dont want to study anymore!) I did get a paper back from one of my English classes (my professor happens to be the head of UF's english dept.) and he told us how terrible we all did, but by some miracle my paper was an "A" I was ecstatic!! For someone like him to like my work made me feel really good. Now just 2 more classes tomorrow then SPRING BREAK!!

On another note, the River Run is only a week from this Saturday, which is also Cody's birthday party. I'm excited to throw him a party since he will be the big 25! Anyways, I'm so excited for the run, more like anxious/excited/nervous all at once. It should be great though. Ok off to ace this test!!