Let's play catch up shall we....

So it has been 2 months!  It has been a whirlwind at work with year end and in life.  I started this blog as something to track my food, fitness, and adventures and the last few months life has been getting in the way of many of those things.  But I want to get back into it and start to share the new things that have been keeping me busy!  So what have I been up to the last 2 months....

1) Graduating!!!  I had finished up my classes but I finally got my diploma and it was the best feeling in the world.

2) Job hunting, planning a move, trying not to freak out!  Yup this is a daily battle.  I am still planning on moving early next year to MN to be with the BF so right now I am trying to find a job and an easy way to transition out of the one I am in.  I know I have plenty of time but I am still stressed and keeping my fingers crossed that I find the perfect job for me!

3) Running a marathon relay!  The Detroit Marathon Relay was an absolute blast!  It was so fun to be running with 4 of my favorite people and it was a really fun but long day.  Since I was the last leg I had to wait about 4 hours before it was my time to run, thankfully we had heated charter busses that I was able to sleep on.  Overall we didn't finish at our goal time but it was still a great experience.  Oh and I had the best view from my leg start!

4) Putting on a tutu and celebrating halloween!  My girlfriends and I decided to be tutu superheros this year and I think it turned out super cute.  We also did pumpkin carving and learned that some of us are better at it then others lol

5) Celebrating 2 amazing years with the BF!  I cannot believe we have already been together for 2 years... it is one of the cliche feel like you know them forever but still have those early on butterfly feelings that is just too good to be true.  Since we are apart we decided that the best way to celebrate would be to meet in the middle in Chicago.  We did the classic touristy stuff, attended a Second City comedy show (which was hilarious) and went to soldier field for my first ever bears game.  I was seriously like a small child I was so excited.  It was a perfect weekend with the man I love!

 

 

 

6) Ran my first trail race!  It is called the dirty duel mud run and last year it was sponsored by Red Bull.  It took almost an hour to complete the 5K course and it was all natural obstacles like large hills and sand dunes.  I was sore for days but it was one of the coolest races I have ran.

 

 



7) Thankgiving!  This year I flew out to MN and spent the whole weekend with just the BF.  His family was in Florida but we couldn't coordinate it in our schedule so we decided to spend the long weekend with eachother and good friends.  I made enough food for a small army but the BF was happy he didn't have to cook the rest of the week.  We also ran a 5K around gorgeous Lake Calhoun which has a perfect view of downtown Minneapolis... too bad it was only 5 degrees that morning so I didn't take too many pics!

 

8) Recommitting to fitness!  My knees haven't been doing so well with running so I decided to fall in love with some other forms of fitness.  I joined a gym in my area and take 3-4 classes a week.  I am obsessed with Barre (probably since I have a dance background) and have been taking TRX, yoga, tabata, and bootcamp classes.  I have really seen a transformation in my body and I am loving how much it is mixed up.  I have slowly started getting back into running after taking a few weeks off and I just bought a brand new pair of shoes.  I have even told myself that I will be running a Marathon in 2014 so we will see how that goes!!!



 So that is my life in a nut shell!  Now I feel caught up and can get back to it!

Happy Friday!



Minnie took it out of me!

Hello!

Once again I have been MIA... sadly this is happening more as the norm now a days!  But I am back and ready to fill you all in on my little life.  I was lucky enough to spend the last 2 weekend in Minnesota with my love!  Back when we learned the BF was going to grad school we planned a bunch of flights at least once a month so that we could see eachother.  My trip on the 19th had been planned for ages but about a month ago the BF learned that the 28th was his college homecoming and that there would be a ton of fun events going on.  Thanks to some cheap airfare I was able to go out and enjoy both weekends!

The first weekend we decided to just keep to ourselves and escape up to the lake house for some relaxation.  I have only ever gone up to the lake house during the summer so it was an experience to go up in the fall and enjoy the colors changing and bundled up boat rides!  We stocked the house with some amazing goodies from Williams Sonoma and had such a perfect weekend after 6 long weeks apart.  We also had some champagne to celebrate me finally completing my master program!!

 

This last weekend we decided that we should be less anti-social and soaked up all of the homecoming festivities.  Of course the weather was craptastic so Saturday it was low 60's and pouring rain.... thankfully we both had the same idea and just drank to make up for it!  We ended up having an amazing time and I loved being able to meet all of the people that he is spending every day with in school.  Honestly I get so jealous of all of the people he talks about because they get to see him everyday and go through the bad and the good together.  I really can't wait until I can be a part of all of it to!

 

So now I am back counting down the three weeks until the BF comes out and visits, and trying to make up for 2 weekends away and 1 week of sickness in between. 

 

True talk...... I haven't owned a scale in a long time but when I moved in with the BF he had one that I would use regularly.  When he moved he took it with him but last weekend I finally decided to weigh myself again and OMG now I knew everything was a little tighter but I did not expect to see that I had reached the highest weight I have been in years.  Now I know that the numbers on the scale don't always mean you're doing something wrong but I know that I have been majorly slacking on all aspect of my fitness and healthy eating.  The detroit relay is in 3.5 weeks and in general I really want to feel better about the way that my clothes are fiting me so here are my goals for the next few weeks:

 

1) Run everyday until the relay, it doesn't need to be a lot but at least get in at least a mile everyday on the day's that I don't have a training run until the relay.

 

2) Get back to my fitness pal, I was doing really well but then kinda let it slip as I started to fall off the eating wagon instead of keeping myself accountable.  It really does help me to keep track of what I am putting in my body and what nutrients I need to be getting more of.

 

3) Stop drinking to drink, a glass of wine after work, a vodka soda a trivia, there seem to be so many times that I only drink because those around me are or because it is just so convenient.  I love myself a glass of wine but I need to keep it to girls nights and nights on the town.

 

Anyone else have any goals to help get back on track?

 

I'm back!

So to say I have been MIA is an understatement!  So many changes have occured in the last month and I am finally at the point to get back into a new normal routine.  So what has been going on.....

Well the BF has officially moved.  Back in April he decided to attend the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Business MBA program, which required an obvious move and a lot of preperation.  Both of us were excited for him to begin something so big and life changing and the actual move came up on us so quick.  The weekend before we decided to throw a huge party with everyone of our closest friends so the BF could see everyone one last time.  The party was a blast and it felt so incredible to have so many friends there with us to support him.

 

 

Even though the weeks leading up to the party were fun we were also trying to move me into my new apartment and get the BF all packed up, needless to say with work, school, packing, emotions, etc it was exhausting!  The only perk was that I think I was too dang busy to actually realize what was happening which was a good thing at the time since I didn't become a complete hot mess HA.  That Tuesday after my workday we finished packing up the Uhaul and headed out for MN. 

 

We planned on doing the whole drive at once but we actually stopped right at the Wisconsin border for a quick nap (only slept 3 hours) at about 2 am.  The whole trip took us about 16 hours and in all honesty it was miserable.  The only perk was being stuck in the car with the BF, but we both decided that when I make the move we will be paying to have my stuff shipped for me! 

Once we arrived it was all about quality time and soaking up as much of eachother as we could.  Most days we spent at the pool and nights were about exploring the city.  To be honest it was one of the best weekends we have had which was perfect, until I started to realize it was coming to an end.  Saturday night I was a total wreck, since everything was perfect I hated that I would have to leave and it would be another month before we could have that time again.  And lets just say the amount of crying in the security line of the airport for my one way flight back was a little embarrasing. 

Thankfully the BF is the most amazing man in the world and knew that leaving would be so much of a struggle.  I arrived home to the most beautiful roses and such a heartfelt card.  It really did make me realize why I loved him so much and that he will be the person to make a long distance relationship worth every minute apart.

 So where is life now.... thankfully I am only a few bottles of wine and one emotional breakdown in lol!  It has been one full week and I finally feel like I am settling into my new normal routine.  Technology is a god send and between texts, phone calls, and facetime I feel like I haven't missed a moment of his new life in MN.  My girls have also been more amazing then I could have ever imagined.  The frist few days my phone was flooded with advice, funny stories, encouragment, and care from those who are closest to me, and even a few girls I am just starting to really adore.  I knew my friends would be there but having this much support has made me realize how truly lucky I am!  Only 4 more weeks to go until I get to visit again and until then I know my girls will make everyday special.

I am trying to concentrate right now on finishing school (only 2 weeks to graduation) and getting my eating and workout routines back on schedule.  The few weeks of moving and parties left me not feeling so hot about myself so I am finally back on track and ready to get moving again.  This started as a place for me to keep myself accountable and share my food and workout routines so I plan on keeping that up from now on!



I don't think I can eat anymore fudge!

This past weekend was my final big vacation of the summer!  The BF and I decided that we would love to do a weekend getaway just us two before he left for Minnie in August.  I haven't been to Mackinac Island since I was in middle school and we thought it would be the perfect place for a quick weekend trip.

 



I have gone with my family before but was never able to actually spend the night on the island because of how pricey it can be.  We decided to go all out and stay at The Grand Hotel which is by far the fanciest hotel on the island.  Thankfully they were running summer specials and by staying on the off nights we were able to get a great deal on a food and lodging package!

There are zero moterized vehicles on the island so you have to arrive by ferry and get everywhere by bike, horse, or walking. Since I can't ride a bike (long story) we decided to walk most of it except for a quick horse taxi ride to get to our beautiful hotel.

 

 

We could not have asked for a more perfect experience, everything from the food to the room to the staff were wonderful and there was so much to see and do.  My favorite part is that every night at 6:00pm every guest on the grounds has to be in formal attire.. women in dresses or pant suits and men in a suit coat and tie.  The BF and I love dressing up and it was so amazing to be in such a timless place with guest that also enjoyed the experience. 

The hotel has a lot to do but most of it involves walking through their gardens, playing bocce ball, golf, listening to live music, and porch sitting.  The BF and I had the hardest time just sitting and enjoying ourselves and our environment or walking around the gardens we constantly were asking eachother "what do you want to do?" instead of just enjoying the place we were in.  Def taught us a lesson that we need to just let ourselves relax more often and step away from the chaos and plans of our every day life.

Anyone not from Michigan that might not get the fudge reference in the title, Mackinac Island is known for their fudge shops.  So much so that they call their tourists Fudgies because they mainly just come or talk about the fudge!  About every other store on Main Street has their own brand and flavors of fudge and each one is more than happy to hand out as many samples as your heart desires.  The BF and I decided that we had to try each place before we made a purchase and then bought a pound and a half because we thought we should lol!  I ate all of my peanut butter fudge before we even got home and we are still working on a tiny bit of turtle fudge still.

I am so happy we were able to get away just us two for some much needed quality time before we start oh so joyous long distance hell relationship!

Birthday and a Runch

First of all I need to mention that today is my amazing baby sisters birthday!!  So crazy that she is 23 years old today.  We weren't always super close but now she has truly become my best friend and the person in this world that I could never survive without!   I am so proud of who she has become, she will be starting her big girl job in just over a month and having so many new and crazy adventures in Nashville!  It will be crazy once we both move since we will go from 2 hours apart to a 2 hour plane ride but I know we will be able to stay just as close!

Yesterday my whole body was super sore from my full body TIU workout but I knew that I needed to get a run!  Thankfully it was a perfect day and I couldn't wait to get out on my lunch our for a "runch". I work on a very large complex so I was able to change at my desk and get in about 3.5 miles total.  I only ran 2.5 and then did a 1 mile cool down a) because I was super sweaty and didn't want to be totally gross when I went back to work and b) because I didn't want to go back to work yet lol!  It was crazy because I remembered fully why I actually started to like running in the first place.  Last summer I started training for my first half marathon and as much as it sucked I really did love getting out and enjoying the beautiful (and not so beautiful) summer days.

 

 

After that my body and especially my legs were done!  As soon as I got home I threw on my new compression socks, which I'm not really sure about but figured it couldn't hurt and cleaned.  The BF went to a tigers game but as soon as he got home I made him take a long walk with me so that I could try to stretch out a little more.  Tonight I am hoping to get in some time with the foam roller and do some upper body work since that is the only part of me that isn't super sore today HA!

 



 I look like a hot mess and he looks like a goon ^ ... yup basically this is everyday lol

Seeing the light!

Finally the chaos of the last month or so is coming to a close!!!  I am finally moved in with the BF and as of last night our house is totally empty and cleaned up!  I also got a 92% of one of my MBA exams and a 89% on the other which I will totally take since I didn't study one bit oops.  We have the whole summer planned out and all of our vacations booked and coordinated.  I can finally breathe!!

Random weekend updates....I was a super clutz and tripped up my stairs (yup up) while moving and totally busted up the inside of my foot.  Thankfully it doesn't hurt to walk or run but when it has pressure from my shoes and such it isn't super pleasant.  This is how I spent my friday night.... I wasn't too sad to have to stop moving to take a wine/pinterest/ice cream break lol

Saturday we headed out to my Alma Mater Western Michigan University to see my baby sister graduate.  I could not believe that I was that old and that she was about to become a full fledged adult.  It was a perfect day out and a wonderful ceremony.  I really could not be more proud of her, I have talked before about how she is more like my daughter then a sister and I really did feel like a proud momma bear watching her walk across that stage.  I think the champagne was more for me then for her lol but it did make for an amazing day!

#RunnersUnite for Boston

Just like so many others yesterday I was in shock... I couldn't believe what the news was telling and couldn't bear to watch the videos of what had happened in Boston. This race was something that people had worked so hard to achieve and I couldn't believe that someone so brutally destroyed what should have been a great day for. It sickens me that people can take the lives of and injure innocent people because of their own problems and issues with the world. Obviously there is still a lot of questions that need to be answered like who and why but I am never sure I will fully understand what makes a person or a group capable of such brutality.

Any runner knows that no matter what the distance the finish line is the happiest place in the world, seeing that line means that no matter how badly you are struggling that you all of a sudden have the strength to push through. It is also a place that has your loved ones, friends, and most of the time complete strangers willing to cheer you through those last few minutes. Whoever chose to tarnish that line in Boston will have their own debts to pay; however, they forgot that anyone one who is a runner in the first place is used to pushing through the tough times and overcoming every obstacle in their way. No one will ever forget what happened yesterday and today it has brought the running community even closer!

 

 

This quote came up a lot yesterday and it really is worth sharing. The videos of the blast were so difficult to watch, but after this I tried to concentrate on the amount of people that immediately ran to help without knowing what would happen next. There are people in this world that will do whatever they can to destroy faith, but there are many more that are there to rebuild it. Keep faith, and keep Boston in your prayers!