Nike + GPS

  So Eryn talked me in to getting the Nike + GPS on my phone and all I can say is...
  I wish I'd listened to her sooner!  And damn I'm gonna miss my iPhone in a year when I leave here!!  It is definitely worth the $1.99 I paid for it (she got it for free during runner's month).

  Because it's a GPS it works so much better than my Nike + iPod (my shoe insert doesn't measure correctly).  I also like that it's just a fun app!  I can challenge myself and "tag" my friends to see which of us can run the longest/fastest.  I told Eryn we're going to have to start doing that when we are away and can't train together.  Will keep me in gear since I slacked all last week!

  I have been keeping up with training this week and am feeling sore but better than expected after a week off (if you don't count the crappy 2 mile treadmill run I did).  I had to get in 2 3 mile runs Monday and Tuesday, which I was able to do.  My run says 3.20 but it missed my first two laps somehow so my total does equal my needed 6 miles for the week so far.

  Today I hit the gym to do a little cross training.  Unfortunately I was only able to get 30 minutes in - I wanted to do more but every machine I went to was out of order!  Two of my favorites were missing their seats and they still haven't fixed my ab crunch machine.  I'm guessing since they close for the semester on Friday they'll be fixing everything and I'll be good to go on August 21st when they re-open.

  Sadly, that means Eryn and I will be doing 3 works of long runs in the horrid heat!!  It was 108 today so I promise you, it's hot!!  But I can't complain too much because after the humidity in Indiana, I'm thankful it's just hot here.

  This weekend is another long run without Eryn - 6 miles.  I'm nervous because last time I barely squeezed out 4 of the 5 I had to do.  I'm going to push myself really hard this week though - new headphones, charged shuffle, I'm hoping to be good to go!

  I'll keep you posted on the results - if I remember to take my iPhone. : )

Life in a whirl wind!

  I apologize for not updating in a while.  Things have, as expected, picked up and life has been crazy here.

  Eryn was out of town 2 weekends ago so I had to do our long training run (5 miles) by myself.  Already nervous about the length - I just made the 4 miles the weekend before.  About 2 miles in my iShuffle headphones busted on me once again.  This is at least the 2nd (if not 3rd) pair I've gone through since I've started running again.

  Apparently I sweat so much it gets into them and since I have the previous type of iShuffle I have to have the ones with the switch on the cord - I don't have switches on my shuffle.

  So, first thing I did after the run was go on ebay and order 2 extra pairs as well as a case for them to keep an extra set in the car for training.

  I flew out early Monday with some co-workers to Indianapolis, Indiana for a conference for work. I was extremely excited for this conference as it has a great impact on my job - especially in the fall.  My building has become 90% freshmen this year so I will working with many of them with the Mapworks program.  It's basically a retention program where they answer self-assessment questions so we better understand where they feel they are in their education and learning.

  I have found it to be a very useful tool in working with my freshmen.  Because this generation is so open and honest (to a fault on facebook) it helps give administrators a better understanding of where they think they are and where their grades are and if it's an adequate reflection of both.

  Since I was in a strange city I wasn't comfortable going for a run outside - even though we were on a college campus.  Instead I decided to use the treadmill in the gym at the hotel.  Definitely an interesting experience...

  I set the goal of 4 miles and finished 2.  I am not exaggerating when I say that I was drenched in sweat.  I answered an important phone call and left the gym and walked around for about 10 minutes and still entered my room drenched.  The gym had no air and felt like a sauna - it was terrible!!  Needless to say, I was not able to work out again in that type of heat.  I don't need to injure myself!

  Upon my return I jumped in a car and made my way to North Carolina to say goodbye to a good friend who is leaving for grad school.  If I was a good blogger I would have remembered to take my camera and taken the mandatory photos of all the people I spent time with but... I didn't.  Those who I got to see know who they are and hopefully they enjoyed the time we spent together as much as I did.

  Being "home" - even for less than 36 hours, was so worth it!!  I realized as much as I love my grad university, I don't think I'm going to  consider applying back there.  It's changed too much for me and there are so many memories there that it wouldn't feel right anymore.  And I actually feel ok about that - not sad like I was after Homecoming.  It was like a final closure for me, which I think I needed.

  I also was able to spend time (although much too short!) with two of my best friends from grad school.  I've missed both of them so much and being able to spend just a few precious hours with them was well worth it.  Hopefully we can make time in the future to spend a weekend together and have fun.  I miss them from my life - we keep in contact pretty regularly but it's always good to see a smiling, friendly face!

  It's amazing to think of how far I've come since I lived there and went to school there.  I feel in so many ways like I am a completely different person.  Not better, just different.  I've definitely grown more as a person since I left and have had so many experiences I am thankful for.  I guess this weekend has made me realize that in a year, a whole new world will be opening for me and that's so exciting for me.  The possibility of finding a new job, being back on the East Coast and being at a job and living in a city that will be new and exciting - I am scared but so excited for all of these things and I am finally feeling confident as I go into this new place.  I really like this feeling! : )

Poker 5 Mile Run and more

  I have to say that last week was a great week for me.  Probably one of the best birthdays I've had in a long time which is always nice.

  
I received my first Edible Arrangement ever from my best friend Sarah!  Let me just tell you nothing is more awesome to someone eating healthy and in training than getting a bouquet of fruit!!  I ate about half of it in the first 2 hours and shared the rest with my staff.  It was delicious!!

  Last weekend when we had "girls night" two of my staff bought me these beauties.  I absolutely love carnations - esp. since they are cheap and last forever.  These are on my kitchen table with my yummy apples for the week.  Definitely brightens up my kitchen.

  My wonderful friend Catherine surprised me with a huge box on my birthday containing...

  Some of my favorite things!  She gave me a new mug (and tea) to continue my obsession as well as a wonderful giftcard to iTunes and an outfit from the GAP.  She even knew my correct sizes!  I was beyond surprised and extremely thankful for her thoughtfulness.  : )  She's the best ex-roomie ever!

  Outside of my birthday, I've been working on going through my freezer and pantry before going out and buying new food.  I've managed to go through 1 box of cereal, a loaf of bread and a box of pasta already and I'm hoping to finish off a few more side dish boxes soon.  I'm trying to eat less boxed food and more fresh.

  I did pull one of those loaves of bread I bought a while ago from the farmer's market and it was amazing.  I couldn't believe how fresh it tasted after being in my freezer since April!!

  I finished it off within 4 days.  It stayed fresh the entire time which blew my mind.

  Two big events happened this weekend.  My friend Joey's engagement party and the Poker 5 Mile Run for training.

 
  Joey's is eloping in less than 2 weeks so her best friend and I threw her a small bachelorette party on friday night.  We had a good turn out and she said she had a blast which made me happy.

  Kellie did a great job with the goodie bags!!

  Sadly, due to training I had to leave very early in the evening but from the little I've heard, it sounds like they had a great time after I left.

  That's one of the hardest things right now about training - missing out on the fun stuff, but I am working on being disciplined so I can reach my goal.  Last time Eryn and I tried to train for the OKC half marathon we both ended up getting injured in the beginning of training and I don't want to go through that again.  If I can do this Half in November I'm hoping to set the next goal of doing the OKC Half in the spring and moving knowing I did 2 half's before I left OK.

  Our training schedule can be found here.  We're doing the beginner's Half Marathon training.  With it being so hot we're now trying to schedule more training week runs inside at the gym and keeping our Saturday runs outside with the group.  I don't do so well with the heat - I get horrible migraines so I'm working on extending my mileage but not killing my head in the process.

  The run is a non-timed race where they ask for a $5 donation - the money is used to pay for our post-training run snacks and drinks. 

  I can't speak for Eryn but I was super nervous.  I had never done or even attempted 5 miles before it was a little nerve wracking... especially when I took the previous week and weekend off due to vacation.  Thankfully I ran three times during the week to get back what I lost and was somewhat prepared for the run.

  I set my imapmyrun app on my iPhone and tried to slow my mind and my breathing.  Then we were off!  As I mentioned before, I hate knowing the course - it works against me if I do because then I know how much more I have and I tend to develop mental blocks.  This course was pretty good about that - they only took us back on the same part for about a mile.

  I took my ishuffle in case Eryn and I got separated and ended up using it about half way through.  I was slightly faster than Eryn... by maybe 20 seconds but it worked against me at the end when my legs started getting weak and she passed me because I had to walk for a minute.  I did end up catching up to her within the last .2 miles and we finished together very strong.  She ran the entire 5 miles and I ran about 4.8 of the 5 non-stop.  We finished right around 55 minutes which means we were in the faster part of our group (11-12 min mile pace).

  Using that information Eryn has set the goal of us crossing the finish line in 2.5 hours.  Right now the thought of running 2.5 hours straight is extremely overwhelming but then I remind myself that the thought of running 5 miles a few weeks ago was the same.  It puts it slightly into perspective and makes me feel like the goal of 13.1 isn't quite so out of reach if I keep pushing myself.

  This weekend will be a challenge - I'm in training from Wed-Friday, have the Harry Potter premiere very late Thursday night/Friday morning and the next 5 mile training run on Saturday morning by myself because Eryn will be out of town.  I have a feeling this weekend is going to wipe me out.

  I fly out early Monday morning to Indianapolis for a conference until Thursday and then I'm headed out for a weekend away so I miss the first 6 mile weekend run.  My hope is the hotel has at least a treadmill or is located somewhere safe so I can get some miles in while I'm at the conference.

  We'll see how this week goes... I have a feeling it's going to fly by like last week which is both good and bad.  But it's one week closer to finally opening my building and having my girls back with me!

Happy birthday to me!

  Well today is my birthday.  This morning I turned the same age my momma was when she had me.  I've dreaded this birthday for a while now - at this point my mother was married 10 years to my father and pretty settled in her life.  I look at her and then at my life which is, for the most part, so unsettled.  I haven't had the best experiences with dating and didn't really figure out what I wanted to do with my future until just a few years ago so it's been an interesting road.

  But some things that are making me smile on my birthday are...

  Beautiful flowers from two good friends along with a homemade dinner from this weekend. And tons of movie watching, talking, shopping and good food.

  I look very good for my age (white spot on my mirror... not on my face) and many think I'm still in my mid-20's which works for me!

 

  I have an amazing family and supportive friends who have stood beside me for many of my ups and downs and had 2 great college experiences.  I know that a lot of the people in my life currently will be there when I need them in the future, and I also know I'm blessed for that because some people don't have that luxury.

4th of July celebrating... my kind of way!

  Happy 4th of July!

  I'm celebrating mine a little differently - just quietly relaxing, mostly because I'm on duty and can't go anywhere.

  Danielle left for home again.  It was so nice having here here - I sometimes forget how much I miss living with someone.  It's nice to stay up until after midnight and disclose secrets, talk about what's bothering you and just talk and watch movies.

  We went over to the local square yesterday and I did some birthday shopping.  Always fun.  I have a slight obsession with Banana Republic.  I bought the following outfits for work:

  The white work shirt is sheer but I bought a really cute cami the other week which will look great underneath.

  Same pants in all photos - maroon/reddish strap work shirt and white cardigan.

  Sheer off-white work shirt.

  Black work shirt with ruffles that go across the entire front.

  I'm happy to say all of these were on sale for 40% off the sale prices and I also got an additional 15% off due to a bday coupon I had.  All together they should have costs over $250 but I spent just over $100!!  The shirts are all comfortable and flattering and the pants are so loose and light but very work appropriate.

  I also got triple points because I'm a Luxe member and I can take the pants in to get hemmed up this week for free. I just picked up 4 pairs of pants I had them hem for me before I left for vacation and with all these new shirts, I've got a completely new wardrobe (in addition to my current work outfits) for the upcoming school year.  Yes, this is very exciting to me! ; )

  I made Danielle and myself dinner last night using the corn I bought and some of the squash.  It was pretty good.  The corn was amazing - so sweet!  I'm definitely going back next week after training in the morning to get some more.  I absolutely love corn on the cob.  I mixed the squash in some linguine and put sauce over it. We also had some salad along with the corn on the cob and pasta.  Odd combination but pretty good.  I also attempted to make some garlic bread in the oven but it definitely could have been more garlicky.

  I'm hoping to see some fireworks from the steps of the library tonight if they do them downtown.  I don't want to go out in town because if I get a duty call I'll have to fight traffic to get back and that could be bad...

  Hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July and enjoy whatever it is you are doing.  If you can get out and have the money to shop, do it!  Most places are having at least 40% off and it's worth it.

Vacation aftermath

  Back from vacation.  I've been meaning to update since I arrived home on Tuesday but between resettling into my house, catching up on work I missed and everything else, it's been pretty crazy.

  This weekend is my momma's birthday followed by the 4th and then my birthday!  July is always such a busy month - the summer never seems to go slow for me which is both good and bad.  Good because it means I don't get too bored and my staff will come back soon so I'm even busier, but bad because it slips by way too fast and I never seem to find the time to enjoy it.  But thankfully I was able to on vacation.

  I spent my week with my wonderful family.

  I decided to spend my week off with my 4 amazing godchildren and my best friend.  We started out the week at the beach, which was a wonderful decision.  When Corey was younger we would spend his birthday at the beach every year.  This was my first time with the little ones and I had a blast.

  We rode bikes together, walked the boardwalk and spent a ton of time on the beach.

  Caity wanted to get covered in the sand.  Chrissy and I were happy to help.

  She is such a cutie!

  Colton was all about swimming, if you couldn't tell...

  Spending time at the beach was my early birthday present from them.  I'm so lucky to have them in my life.

  After we returned from the beach we hit Hershey Park - one of my favorite places in the world.

  Colton isn't a huge fan of pictures but Caity and I were all smiles on the train.

  I still don't know how we all fit into this ride but we had a blast and got a little queasy when it lifted into the air.

  While waiting for mom to get her pass Caity and I posed with our favorite chocolates.  We ended up walking over 6 miles in the 7 hours we were at the park.  I had a blast - it brought up memories of Corey being little and created new memories with the little ones so a win win in the end.

  Along with all the fun came all the food.    The kids tried chocolate covered bacon (I thought it was gross) and we all tried deep fried oreos (a little better).

  I ate so much junk food it was unreal.  Many things I haven't eaten in a long time and usually don't eat.  Between the multiple Mc Donald's, kettle corn, caramel corn, chocolate, pizza, tons of soda and burgers.  My body was craving veggies by the end of the week.  We finished the week off with s'mores and ice cream cake for my birthday.

  Quite the pre-birthday celebration.

  When I got back I threw myself right back into as much of a schedule as I could.  Hit the gym starting Wednesday and have managed to lose the couple of lbs I gained over vacation and am already back on track to where I want to be.

  Training on Saturday went well.  I enjoyed the run - Eryn and I ran together so I had someone to talk to.  She did better than me - I had to walk a small bit but she kept pushing on.  The course was 4 miles but with all that we ran it was just over.  I did hit my 4 miles despite the short walks and kept a decent pace the entire run.

  After we finished (took about an hour all in all) we decided to hit the farmer's market downtown.  I just love our farmer's market - it's not too small and not too large - just perfect.  The prices are great and you get a decent amount of food for what you pay.

  I went there looking just for spinach but walked away with so much more it was amazing!

  I ended up spending $20 and got a bag of wonderful spinach, a chocolate croissant, pecan pie (my birthday cake for myself), potatoes, squash and 2 ears of corn.

  Danielle and September came over on Saturday night to have a "girls night" birthday celebration for me as I'm on duty all weekend and can't really leave to celebrate.  September made us wheat pizza from scratch, I made a spinach and spring mix salad (with blue cheese and raspberry vinaigrette) and we finished the meal with ice cream birthday cake.  We ended the night watching "Blue Valentine"and "Bridget Jones' Diary."  It was just hung out which was really nice to hang out and relax with great people.