Back to the Grind

Today was officially my last first day of school. Ever. I was having mixed feelings about ending law school; the impending bar exam, the whole idea of being a lawyer (FOREVER)....I was torn. But after kickstarting my final semester with a 2 hour lecture on Income Tax that was decidedly less interesting than paint drying, I've decided I'm really ready to leave. 

Add about 15 years and you have my tax professor..ugh

In happier "kickstart" news, Marathon training has commenced! I can actually say MARATHON now because I'm officially entered in the 2012 Derby Festival Marathon! I'm still finagling my training plan and all of that, so I'll share as soon as I know what it is. I've also cooked up a good set of 2012 Goals (I'm not calling them resolutions since I think Steph @RunningtoHealth is on to something) but they're also not quite ready for public consumption. So again.....stay tuned!

So far my whopping 4 workouts have gone really well and I'm feeling healthy & happy with how it's going. What more can you ask for? I've also gotten to try out some of my awesome new Christmas gifts, including a cute and fuzzy warm Saucony pullover. It's pink to match my Team Sparkle skirt, obviously. 

New pullover and UA gloves kept me warm for the first cold run of the season!

As the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge has started winding down, I'm excited to have started the Run To the Finish 30 Day Food Journal Challenge! Since I started doing weight watchers 5 or so years ago, I've been tracking what I eat almost consistently. Seeing a daily log what you eat really impacts the choices you make. If you're looking to make a change in your dietary health - to lose weight or just to feel better! - writing it down will really help you take stock of what you're putting in your body. While I'm still tracking weight-watchers style, I'm taking more notes about how I feel, my energy/hunger levels and when I'm eating. Excited to see how it shakes out at the end of the month!

Getting back to the grind after the holidays is such a pain, but at the same time it's really relaxing to return to a normal routine. Almost comforting. I'm sure the monotony of school, work, and training will soon set in, but for now - I'm loving it!

How is your week shaping up? Do you like routine or do you need spontaneity or something different every day? 

Boring Post Alert

Well....hi there!!

It has been a whirwind kind of week(s), and realizing that it has been almost 2 weeks since I last blogged about anything has only made it seem longer. Shopping, baking, celebrating and traveling have made up the bulk of the last few weeks leaving little room for anything fitness related. Thus, I have almost nothing to report.

Things from the Past

• Last week I managed to get some activity in almost every single day - I was quite pleased!
• Wednesday (21st) I celebrated my 25th Birthday and it was glorious. One of my birthday "traditions" is to go for a run - sort of my present to myself - and this year instead of a run alone, J went for a long walk with me. Best birthday present ever.
• I managed to make some smart food choices over Christmas weekend, including lots of veggies, some veggie smoothies, and no true dessert craziness. I'm pretty proud of myself
• The day after Christmas we left for Tennessee to visit J's family. All good food decisions and exercise regimens disappeared when we crossed into Tennessee. As much as I love being with J's family (they are truly wonderful people) I'm ready to get back into my own groove and my own routine

Things for the Future

• Tomorrow we leave to head back to Kentucky. My ToDo list is insane, and as much as I'm looking forward to getting on a schedule, that schedule is going to be brutal
• I heard from the DerbyFest people saying "you can switch to the full marathon" (for a huge fee, obviously) "can we proceed?" and after my response, I've heard nothing. The email address she contacted me from is invalid to actually send emails to, which makes it difficult. We shall see - either way I'm still running 13.1 in April so that's great
• Trying to nail down my training plan for the spring - I can't wait to share! I think blogging through training will be a great tool to keep me honest and push me through training

I'm still catching up on all of YOUR holiday fun, so keep the posts coming. So excited to start a new year!

Where to begin?

Well, after a lot of lurking I've decided to set myself up here on Blogger. For a long time I've been a part of The Loop over on RunnersWorld.com and it's been amazing. I really love the amount of support and advice that these online circles provide - especially from complete strangers! However, after being a longtime lurker of Julia's over at Pain, Pride & Perseverance I'm really excited about the possibilities that are open to me here on Blogger!

So who am I? Well...

• I'm the daughter to two amazing parents who still live about 10 miles down the road
• I'm engaged to a pretty swell future Lawyer and Army Veteran
• I'm a 3rd year Law student at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law
• I'm a food-lover. As the title implies, I'll do just about anything for something yummy and...
• I'm a runner! I'm a marathoner, 5 time half-marathoner and triathlete. 

In a nutshell, that's me! Like most people my schedule is demanding, my time is limited, and there is only so much energy to go around. I'm hoping that blogging will bring me closer to members of the running community, help me clarify my goals and ultimately reach them!