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!



Starting Over

I need to make this my new life motto!  The last three weeks have been a mixture of amazing vacations, getaways, and celebrations. This has meant that the last three weeks haven't included much in terms of fitness.  Since we left for Minnesota I have gained around 6 pounds and can tell that I have lost a lot of the tone I worked so hard to gain.  I know it isn't always about the numbers but when I know every 6 of those pounds came from alcohol, fudge, eating out, snacking, and more drinks it makes me realize that I need to do something.

Tuesday was my first day back to work and my gym from our weekend trip so I decided to pack my favorite shirt, print off my new honeymoon bikini routine from tone it up (which is brutal by the way), and get to work! 

 

The BF and I also decided that we are going to start having roller dates instead of wine dates!  Both of us suffer from hip and knee pain and the rollers do so much good but we have been slacking hardcore.  Now we are trying to commit to at least 3 roller dates a week!

Wednesday I did 30 minutes of cardio on the eliptical and another tone it up full body routine. And then we went to trader joes and stocked up on some of our favorite healthy staples, and just some of our favorites!  I have a slight obsession with Peanut Butter Panda Puffs and trader joes is the first place I have been able to find them in a few years so I was a super happy camper!

Tonight we have plans all night so I decided to get in early for a cardio session.  I have been dying to try the Itty Bitty Cardio workout from tone it up but my gym is usually too busy to take up the interval time on the treadmill.  Since very few people are at the gym at 6 am I decided it would be the perfect time.  The cardio kicked my booty but it was awesome to feel so accomplished so early in the morning.  Also didn't hurt that I was able to burn 500 calories in 40 minutes!

 

 

Plan for the next few weeks since I don't have too many major events (only one or two a week which is sadly basically none for me) I hope to keep up the good work and watch my food intake like a hawk. Thankfully I have recruited my bestie J to keep me motivated.... things are so much easier with a good friend!

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!

Weekend update

How is it already Monday?  Even though I still have 4 days of work I am already looking forward to my long three day weekend coming up!

Friday I was able to get in a solid 2 mile run and caught up on my lack of lifting for the week.  Doing shoulders and back/bi day was really difficult but I made it through.  That night was supposed to be birthday party for my bestie J but sadly she got really sick and we decided to postpone the events since the birthday girls couldn't attend!  Instead we did a small BBQ with some friends and called it a pretty early night.

Saturday woke up bright and early to take care of some errands and then we headed over to a local 5K for the One Fund Boston organization. We really didn't expect much since the event had to be thrown together so quickly but we were immediately impressed with how well they had done. Local companies donated t-shirts, bibs, timing equipment, food, drinks, and everything else you could want at a race. This meant that 100% of the funds raised could go straight to the fund! The same race was held in 13 other cities at the same time so it was great to feel like a part of something much bigger. The race director was also able to find 4 local runners that had participated in the Boston Marathon this year, that wanted to participate in the 5K. I did not expect to see anyone from Boston, the second I realized who they were I had goose bumps, and it made me even more motivated to be there!

Saturday night was the birthday party for my other good friend and it was so much fun to get together with some of my favorite people in the area.  We had a low key BBQ and then proceeded out to the clubs for dancing!  I love to dance and we can rarely get the boys to go so it was awesome to see them all be good sports and come along.  I also had one too many glasses on wine which prompted an obnoxious BF and I photo shoot which I didn't realize until the next morning so here are some of the highlights lol!

This week will be insane since this is the big move,  I have 2 exams, and need to keep up on my 10K training but I think I should be able to get it all done.  The best part is the weather this week... today is supposed to be 60 and sunny when I get out of work which means that it will actually be easy for me to lace up my shoes and get out for a run. 

#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!



When life gets in the way

There is no way around it.... I have been slacking! Hardcore slacking, like not running in 2 weeks and barely getting to the gym type slacking. In the past three weeks I have only attempted to run once and made it to the gym only a handful of times. This is a definite issue because today my wonderful friend reminded me that I only have 4 weeks until I am running a 10K in Grand Rapids. No I know I have ran further than that but I am not at the point where I can just go out and run 6 miles without proper training.

I have also been slacking on the food front, the last few weeks have been crazy busy and I have really quickly lost motivation to prepare and plan for meals ahead of time. The BF and I are usually really good about planning but in the last few weeks we have lost it. Most days I can find something to eat for breakfast and lunch (although quite boring) however dinners have been mostly eating out and take-out which is not usual at all!

So what is my excuse? Change and uncertainty, which are two things that I do not tend to enjoy.

So first I am moving which has two huge pieces of chaos. The first is that the BF and I have decided to live with each other for the summer to save money and to kinda do a "trial run". For most people this would be exciting however for me it is terrifying. I lived with someone in the past and it didn't work out well at all, it is actually what led to our break-up so going into it this time is a little scary. I may be over there all the time but I know firsthand it is a huge difference then actually living with each other. The second piece of chaos is that after the summer I will be taking over the lease from my current roomie in our new house which is still to be located (with less than 2 weeks until we move out). Finding a house/apartment is a pain in the a** and every time we find something we love it is leased before we even have the chance. We have a few more places to look at this week and hopefully we will find something so we can get it done with!

And the next and biggest part of life right now is that the BF has decided to attend grad school at the University of Minnesota. Since we began dating over a year ago I knew he wanted to go to grad school full time which is something I 100% support. I know he is meant to do big things in the business world and the only way to get there is for him to get his MBA from a reputable school. He applied to 2 schools in Michigan and 1 in Minnesota (his home state) because they were the best in the Midwest. After a few months of interviews and campus tours he finally decided on Minnesota. I know in my heart that it is the best school for him and the place he will excel the most which is what is important but it still does bring on a lot of stress that I wasn't prepared for. We have already discussed that we are in this for the long haul but it has now made the next 2.5 years very uncertain. Because of my job and his first year course load we have decided to do long distance for the first year, LDR's suck there is no way around it and historically I haven't been very good at them. I am a time person and I feel most loved when I am given someone’s time which is something the BF will not be able to provide his first year. Since we both know this the current plan is for me to make the move in spring of 2014, which will solve one set of problems but bring on a whole new set. I love my job, and to be honest I am damn good at it. I have excelled faster than most employees and have the potential to excel well into management and a six figure income in the next few years. Working for the federal government means that there is usually a lot of room to transfer but sadly there is nothing in Minnesota. This means that I will be starting over new, and will be switching from the public to the private sector which will be huge! I know that in the end this is what will be best for the BF and I since it will give us the life we both want but in the mean time I am just trying by best not to freak out and be supportive as possible even when it hurts.

So what is the outcome? That I need to pull up my big girl panties and suck it up. If I can't keep to my goals during this type of stress there is no way that I will be able to keep it up later in life with kids, a house, a hubby, hopefully a few dogs, and lord knows what else. I need to make working out and eating right a priority because it will make everything else in my life just a little bit better. Today I packed my food and I have a great meal planned for tonight, this weekend I am hoping to unwind and just enjoy my friends and BF. This weekend I plan to make a weekly meal plan and grocery list to try to keep myself more organized so that I can't blame time anymore. I guess it took me 3 weeks but I guess this morning was my realization that I need to make some changes!!

I can't lift my arms

So apparently going 6 months without really lifting and then starting back up again will make you extremelly sore!  I have been doing these exercises on top of my running schedule and this week decided to up my weights since it was getting easier, and boy am I paying for it today!  It feels awesome to know that I am now working my whole body but I feel like an old lady since my legs, abs, and whole upperbody is so sore when I get out of bed.  But it will all be worth it in 3 weeks when I put on a bikini and actually feel good about it.

We were in Florida the exact same time last year and I realized that I only have one pic ^ of me actually in my bathing suit the whole time.  Now I know that people would be more than happy with that body but I was not.  I knew I wasn't working out or eating the way I should be, and I didn't feel confident or comfortable which is the key.  With all of my hard work I know that I will feel better then ever this year and can't wait to spend a week relaxing on the beach.  Tonight since I am so sore I am going to take it easy, try to get in an easy 3 mile run and then spend some time with my friend the foam roller.

In other news this week and weekend was crazy.  I finally got my new car!  Had a few too many jello shots at my roomies birthday!  Judged a rib cook-off!  Cught up with a old friend that I am happy to have back in my life!  And made some pretty awesome meals that I am excited to share!