The Other-Other F Word

It happens to the best of us, and usually hits like a freight train carrying a whole load of acme anvils. The flu. No, I'm not talking about the cold/flu viral sinus thing (I was lucky enough to kick that sucker back in January). No, I'm talking about the other Flu. You know.

Sunday I was riding the high of my Saturday run and excited to start a week of "spring break" wherein I would be responsible for one class and no work instead of 3 classes, work, and an externship. I made a fabulous recipe I'd been DYING to try, and some ridiculously gluttonous Oreo-Chocolate Chip cookies. perfection.

And then Monday morning I woke up and got so sick I thought my insides were going to be on the outside. I threw up for 5 hours straight, took phenergan, then threw up for another hour before finally my innards finally gave up their siege. Needless to say - it was not what I had planned for Monday. By the time Tuesday rolled around I'd survived entirely on Gatorade and stubbornness. Tuesday was lost to recovery.

Wednesday I was feeling a lot stronger and got so far as to eat some fruit snacks (YES!) without any issue. Excited by my progress but not quite ready to run, Josh and I took a nice long walk. I was famished. I turned to my favorite sure-fire "easy belly" meal - a plain white bread sandwich with turkey only. It tasted amazing.

This morning as I packed my running bag for a nice after school run....well, I thought Monday might repeat itself. I felt nauseous, my stomach cramped, my arms and legs were heavy. I searched the pantry for anything that sounded or looked appetizing. Fruit loops? Nope. Granola bar? Nope. Et tu, applesauce? Yeah...definitely not. In short,  today has been a big step back. Back on the hydration train so hopefully the guts get what they need to start chugging along the solid-food highway again.

So here's my question to you!


I have to competing interests/feelings at the moment:

1. I've accepted the fact that there's absolutely no way that I will be getting my 35-38 miles in this week; BUT
2. I have a 17 mile long run scheduled saturday and I don't want to "lose my fitness"

Of course I'm aware that missing one long run won't screw me out of 11 weeks of relatively good training. On the other hand, there's only 6 more weeks of training and this 17-18mi long run is a big step to getting me to my goal of 20 pre-marathon miles. Some options I've considered:

• Do it - Do the 17 and don't worry at all about how long it takes. Stop when you need to, drink lots of water, and walk if you have to
• Spread out the mileage - do 9ish on Saturday and 9ish on Sunday
• Maximize Minutes - Don't worry about mileage, focus on minutes. 17-18 miles would take me roughly 3.5 hours. Rather than get in "miles", focus on spending 3.5 hours doing some kind of cardio
• Get over it - After a week of not running at all, trying to get in 3.5 hours of cardio of any kind is kind of stupid. Do what you can, worry about the rest next week. 
• Move the step-down - Next week is a "step-down" week with a goal of 14mile long run. Move that up to this week and do 17 next week. 

I'm thinking some kind of combo of Move the step down and doing the cardio rather than all running. But I want to hear from you! What's your gut reaction?

Throw it out there (or up there, har har) and let me know what you think!

Looking Up

What a difference a week makes!

First and foremost, thanks for your kind words and encouragement. When family gives me that kind of pep talk, I manage to ignore most of it. But when a group of (almost) complete strangers says it, voila! Inspiration. The interweb is a mysterious place.

Anyway, this week definitely far better than it began. The weather certainly turned around. After a couple days of gross, cold, raininess it's finally looking like spring in the bluegrass. Despite the insufferable allergies and general schizophrenia of temperatures there is no better time to be in Louisville Kentucky than March, April, and that first week in May. Of course, this is always possible:

Thursday I managed to get in my best week-day run in a long time: a 7 mile tempo run with the tempo @ marathon pace. I was ecstatic! Add in the extra mile I walked (UofL vs. Seton Hall in the BET...can't get off treadmill) and I hit a high for weekday mileage. Not to mention it felt pretty good the whole way through.

Fast forward to Saturday morning and I wasn't quite prepared for my long run. We'd been up late Friday night to watch Louisville beat/crush Notre Dame and stayed in bed a lot longer than I'd anticipated. I was in full-on avoidance mode. 15 miles? Yikes. After having only run 5k the weekend before, I'd forgotten that I was capable of that kinda thing. I told Josh "I haven't run this far since 2009." "Ok," he said, "so you've done it before then. There ya go." and then he kicked me out the door.

I'm a firm believer that mental toughness is almost as important (if not more so) than physical training. You can have the strongest legs out there but if you can't talk yourself through a cramp, or a boring stretch of road, or the dreaded 'wall', then you aren't going to accomplish anything. I try to practice this in every workout, but long runs especially when it's just you and the road for hours at a time. I set up a route that kept me around people and places I liked - capping off with my favorite trek over the bridge and back. Lots of flats but some hills throughout to keep the legs fresh.

The first few miles were rough - my head and chest were not cooperating and I felt totally congested. I had to make an uncharacteristic bathroom stop and needed a lot more positive reinforcement early on. But then I had the magical moment where I just kept going. Every once in awhile the thought of Josh having to come get me crept into my head but I just pushed it out.

Just before mile 11 I was on the bridge over the Ohio river. The concrete was killing my feet and I started to feel the miles. I imagined the Gu I'd taken was seeping into my legs, building them up. I mentally described the feeling of getting stronger from my hips all the way to my toes, joint by joint. It made such a HUGE difference. I physically felt stronger and before I knew it, I was off of the bridge and back onto the nice cushy asphalt.

I got home and felt exhilarated. I also felt exhausted. I curled up in an armchair and passed out the minute I got out of the shower. Josh took a sympathy nap (which lasted 3 hours. geeze!) Ended the night with Sushi and beer while watching Louisville win the Big East Tournament. Perfection? Pretty close!

Is my stomach better? No, not really. But I got the guts up to schedule my procedure and I've found a random combination of foods that seem to be Ok.  Are there going to be hard weeks ahead? Absolutely. But hopefully when I start thinking that they're too much to handle, or feeling overwhelmed, I can come back and look at this and remind myself what I'm capable of.

And then, there's always all of you random "strangers" :)

Happy Running!


Are you a "mental" runner? Any tips or tricks you use to get through tough workouts?
What about schizophrenic weather? How is mother nature treating you this March?

Hello! My name is Negative Nancy

While I am 100% aware that "you are in charge of your reactions/emotions/feelings," there is a subconsciously negative drag on my emotions lately. Maybe it's the weather - the constant back and forth between 75 & 35 degrees - or the stress of trying to do 850,000 things all at once. Whatever it is, I've had my negative nancy costume on for the last couple of days and I'm headed straight to Debbie Downerville.

Saturday after running a 5k with Josh I set out on a search for a dress for this gala we're going to. I know, fancy right? Who would've thought that at 25 I wouldn't have a little black dress for this kind of crap. Well, believe it. I know why, though - because after 6 hours, two malls, and a million stores I hadn't found ANYTHING to wear that didn't cost a kidney. Worse yet, I was in pain. My right foot, right knee, right glute had had enough.

Sunday I'd planned on getting in some extra miles to compensate for such a short Saturday run and to celebrate Jamie @From Couch To Ironwoman's birthday. That was not to be. My right leg mounted a coup against me. Refusing to submit to the prospect of a "0" day - and mount my own resistance against my warring limb - I went to a Piyo class at the Y. It was every bit as challenging as I thought it would be, but not all that bad.

Have you noticed that I pretty much constantly complain about my knee? Don't worry, I've noticed it too. I want nothing more than to head straight into my doc's office and get some answers about what makes my knee such a pain in my ass (literally, sometimes). Unfortunately, my knee is low on the priority list at the moment in terms of health care, which leads me to the primary source of negativity right now!

I may have mentioned that last year my gallbladder and I ended our tumultuous 24 year long relationship. It was a less than amicable breakup, to say the least. Even after I had the thing removed it still played rough. It enlisted my pancreas to exact its revenge and finally after 4 days in the hospital without food or water, I was "cured."

Fast forward a year and I still have trouble eating and digesting just about anything. Particularly: whole grains, peanut butter, nuts, fats, fried food, or spicy foods. If you're relatively healthy or training for anything I dare you to try to find a protein bar or "healthy" food that doesn't have one of these in it. Spoiler Alert: you can't find one. So I have to go back and have another endoscopy, which I can tell you I'm not that excited about. I cried when they told me and poor Josh, he's such a trooper. If you find a man who demands to go with you to appointments where 99% of the conversation is about your bowel movements and menstrual cycle, hang on tight.

So that's where I am with that. Constantly stressing because I feel like crap or simply because this isn't something I can control. When my workouts suck, I can look at the problem and fix it. When my weight goes up, I can look at what I'm eating/doing and fix it. I have no real control over this (right now, at least) and it's K I L L I N G M E.  Oh yeah, and I got this in my email the other day:

I'm all for starting early, but how about you let me graduate from law school before you start getting me "pumped" for an exam that's in July mmmmkay?

But it's not all bad. Saturday was the Anthem 5k, the first leg of the Louisville Triple Crown of Running.    It was my second race with Josh and since he had been having some back trouble all week we were running just to finish. It was a really nice experience to be out there running a race for him and not for me. I wasn't concerned with my garmin or my stride, just being with him doing something I love. Our clock times even read the exact same - 31:43. Can't beat that!

I'm 99% sure he would absolutely not love me for posting this :) 

One thing that has kept me positive is reading all of your blogs! I love how everyone is going through different things at different times - there's always someone I feel like I can relate to, and someone who is inspirational. We all take our turns, I think. Don't get frustrated if I become an uber-commenter during my time of negativity. It's my coping mechanism.

Happy Running!

I have a lot to blog about but no time at the moment. However, I do have something to post! Thanks to Ali Mc I've become a Picnik fanatic (because I needed something else to be obsessed with!). I made this as a reminder of all the fun running can be so that when I'm feeling crappy and crabby, I don't forget.

Happy Running!

Beat the Boring in the Pool

Anytime I post about swimming I almost always get three general answers:

1. I don't know how to swim
2. I don't cross train
3. It's so boring

For me, cross-training is a mandatory part of my training program and the only way I can really keep from being injured. Swimming is a natural part of my cross-training regimen since I grew up swimming competitively. But as to the 'boring' argument, well, I have to totally agree. Unlike running, swimming can only be social to a point. If you're a lap swimmer like me, there are no trees to look at, no roads to pass, just lap after lap staring at the same tiled floor. Bo-ring.

For me, swimming was missing one element essential to my workouts: Music.

After doing some research I found the Interval 4G by H20 Audio. According to the website,

"The Interval is the only waterproof iPod case designed just for swimmers! If you’re an iTunes user, there’s no better way to bring your own personal soundtrack into the pool. The waterproof case for the iPod shuffle 4th generation has integrated Surge 2G headphones and easily attaches to almost any swim goggle"

Lucky for me, Dana at H20Audio was gracious enough to let me try one to use with my Ipod Shuffle! The day it came in the mail I squealed I was so excited I danced. I was worried that it would be difficult to set up, but after only 20 minutes I was in the pool ready to go.

The Interval includes 5 sets of earbuds that you can play with to ensure you get the right fit. Once you affix the Interval to your favorite goggles, the earbuds fit snugly down into your ears and you're all set to rock out to your favorite music as you count the laps. Plain & Simple!

What I loved - 

• It was beyond easy to set up! The instructions are written for normal non-technical human beings so they're really easy to understand
• I never have to worry about my Ipod getting wet/ruined. The instructions suggest you test the Interval in water prior to using it in the pool. Once I did that and realized how solid the construction was, I don't have any worries about taking my Ipod underwater with me
• Lots & lots of earbuds - while some regular earbud headphones only come with sm/md/lg, the Interval comes with 5 different sets. This means you have a ton of freedom in terms of finding the ones that fit best for you!
• The sound quality is excellent. It's just as good (if not better) than my regular headphones

What I'm still working on - 

• Finding the right size earbuds may take you some time. I've found that one ear-hole is smaller than the other, so it's been quite the Goldilocks experiment to find just the right sizes. Don't let it discourage you from continuing with some trial & error
• I'm a fidgety person by nature, so I generally pull & tug at anything on my head/ears. Teaching myself to just leave the Interval alone is still a work in progress!

Overall, I really like this little device. This morning I felt stronger and more rhythmic in the pool with music to guide me. Just like my Ipod helps push me through the last few miles of a tough run, the Ipod+Interval combo gives me the extra oomph needed to gut out a tough pool workout. 

Wanna try out the interval? You can buy it with or without the Ipod Shuffle from www.h20audio.com. They also have great waterproof gear for runners, including headphones and Ipod/Iphone cases. If they're anything like the Interval, you won't be disappointed. 

Happy Miles/Laps!

*Disclaimer: although I was provided the Interval to test the opinions are entirely my own. I was not endorsed in any way, I'm just providing my own humble opinion as to my own experiences with the product. 

Wednesday Wish List

It seems like every time I open a webpage - particularly one that sees high volume - I see something like this:

Did you hear that? I can eat like a 15 year old boy, get little sleep, drink little water, and with these 8 simple tips I can have abs. 


It sounds stupid, but I hate these things. I used to be a slave to the tips in magazines like Women's Health (which I still read) and other "Women's" websites which professed "easy" and "simple" ways to get that perfect body. Like clockwork I would head to the gym and give the workouts my best effort only to find, shockingly, these are hard! 


Being fit is hard. Living a healthy life and taking care of yourself, and your children, parents, siblings, spouses, pets and home is hard. While some of these little tricks may actually work for awhile, they inevitably fail if you're not ready to commit yourself to being fit, and being healthy. It's a commitment that changed my life, and one I certainly struggle with every day. For the record: I'm on my couch eating lindor truffles after skipping my workout....see? struggles!

One thing I love about being a runner is that as much as I may complain and whine about it sometimes the hard is what makes it great. Gutting out one last interval, digging through that last rep at your max weight, pushing one extra mile when the tank is on empty, leaving every ounce of sweat and willpower on the street; that's hard, and it's great. 

By putting this wish on the blog  think I fall into the category of "preaching to the choir". Either way, I wish more people would accept the challenge and learn to find the same power and fulfillment in it that I do. Sure, sometimes it really just is hard and it sucks, but that's what community is for. There is no greater reward than finding out that something that used to be really challenging is now a breeze. Whether you're just stepping off the couch, pushing for that sub 6 minute mile, or working towards your first Marathon/Ultra, we can all respect the 'hard', and we can all know the joy and exhilaration at beating it. 

Happy Running!

Home Alone & An Unexpected Awesome

I can't remember the last time I had a Saturday that was so quiet. Typically Saturdays are the only days Josh and I have to spend together, what with the ridiculousness of our schedules. Lately we've been spending a lot of that time relaxing, but it's still exhausting going back and forth between our two apartments (a million times), running errands, doing homework, etc. In an effort to preserve some sort of relaxation on Saturdays - and some "together" time for me and Josh - I've been moving my long runs to Sunday lately. Still, it's hectic.

How am I supposed to say no to this handsome guy?

So when I dropped Josh off at the airport on Friday morning I was left with a wide-open weekend (of crying and counting the time until he returned, Josh would want me to say). I started off by heading to the local market and picking up some new food. In an effort to be adventurous, I picked up some things I'd never tried before. For instance, Naan. And boy oh boy oh boy is it good!

This morning I slept until I didn't feel like sleeping anymore. I fixed a big breakfast, adding blueberries to my oatmeal as a special treat (yum!) and hunkered down on the couch to be as lazy as I damn well pleased. Suffice it to say, it was glorious. The plan was to head to the gym for the UofL game at Noon and get in 2 hours of cardio. I was pretty specific on the time because 2 hours is what it takes me to run 10 miles. Since I hadn't run much this week I wasn't really anticipating stepping foot on a treadmill at all.

And then I accidentally ran all 10 miles straight on the treadmill. Whoops? It sounds odd, but it just sort of happened. On the way over I thought "I need 120 minutes. Why don't I try to get 40 minutes - a third - of that on the treadmill and then I can switch to the elliptical." So I started on the elliptical and, well, I just never switched. It felt really good to be running and having the game on was a great distraction. There were some iffy moments, and I've been babying my knee ever since, but all in all a pretty great run!

So now I'm rewarding myself with more naan, beer, and season 2 of The Wire.

After a 2 week hiatus I'm returning to my Sunday Yoga class tomorrow and I can't wait! I've also carved out some time to hit up my local running store before I go...good thing I have money left over from Christmas!

Do you get to relax on Saturdays or do you find you're usually really busy?
What do you do when you want to relax or get away from all the stress?

And then there was no coffee

I stumbled out of my nice warm bed this morning and into the freezing kitchen this morning to find this

no...coffee....??? AHH!

Not having coffee is an apocalyptic event in my life. I hardly ever drank coffee before law school and now in my 3rd and final year I require a cup of hot strong java goodness before I can tie my own shoes. It's not the caffeine so much as it's the ritualistic aspect of waking up crusty-eyed and sore on any morning and feeling the sweet release of warmth from a big happy mug. Well, except for today obviously. Coffee is essential when you have a schedule like mine has been.

I'm happy that so much of my 'busy' has been fitness & food related. For starters, I'm in week 6 of my training plan and my long runs have been going GREAT. My weekly mileage, on the other hand, has been struggling. Looking at the schedule I noticed I haven't had a step down week yet, and I'm not due for one until Week 9. Lately my body has been telling me that maybe this is a mistake. I've decided this week I'm going to get my workouts in based on time rather than miles and see how I feel. Since I'm only about 1/3 of the way through, I'm going to focus on staying strong and healthy this week rather than logging every single mile. We'll see how this plan works!

In other news, I've been experimenting with new foods/recipes in an attempt to keep up with my raging appetite. I definitely spent twice my January grocery budget, but I justify it by feeding Josh too. Unfortunately, I haven't had as much luck in the "trying new things" category. Have you ever looked at a recipe and though "mmm YUM!" and then, upon taking a bite, though "uuuugh yuck!"? That happened to me with several things lately. Maybe my taste buds just aren't ready to surrender to some of these things. Then again, I don't know why I thought I'd just love recipes based on egg-whites and pumpkin when I don't really like egg whites or pumpkin. Oh well - I'll keep trying!

Wednesday Wish List
This week's wish list is simple: blog more! I've been (trying) to keep up with you all and had no time to update myself. This week, I'll be working to fix that. Thanks to Jen @ Running With the Girls I've been tagged in the 11 Random Things post that's been going around. What a great way to keep up this "wish". So stay tuned to 11 random things about yours truly!

This & That

When I started blogging I'm not sure how often I anticipated updating, but I know once a week wasn't what I had in mind. That being said, once a week feels pretty damn current at this point. I've developed this thing during my runs, though, where I'll start plotting the blog I'll write about that run or workout as it's happening. Then I don't write it. C'est la vie. So rather than regurgitate a week's worth of mental blogs, I'll give it to you short and sweet.

• My life doesn't start before 9am these days. While I know I'll look back on this and say "wow, why didn't you enjoy that more?"for now I feel lazy and dumpy sleeping in so much and not doing anything productive. Example? I've slept through my alarm for my Saturday running group every week now. whoops...
• Despite sleeping through the alarm I managed to get in pretty awesome long run on Saturday! I was supposed to do 7 miles but the only route I knew was an 8 miler so....8 it was!

I wish the garmin elevation charts showed hills in
level of badassness          

So much for 12:40 pace...

• I have my first blister of the training season. I'm kind of glad to get it out of the way. 
• I want a dog so bad I physically can't stand it. I think this is the way girls my age are supposed to feel about babies. You can keep your baby, I just want a dog. The minute J and I start cohabitation there will be a dog. We're naming him Arthur. This is who I dream about on my long runs

• I'm starting to get a marathon appetite to go with marathon training. I could eat everything in sight if I let myself. Hopefully this week there will be pictures of all the awesome new recipes I'm trying!
• If it weren't for running (and school...and work...) I probably wouldn't leave my couch. Someone should have told me that starting Downton Abbey and The Wire at the same time wasn't a good idea. 
• This morning my good buddy Carter and I went for a run together. We haven't seen each other - let alone run together - in far too long so it was a great way to start an otherwise boring Wednesday!

• Wednesday Wish List - I really want to change up the blog a little bit so it looks more awesome like all of yours. Specifically, I want to add an awesome title Banner with pictures instead of just title but....I'm at a loss for the skill. Any suggestions?
• I'm loving Dailymile and the fact that I can keep up with everybody and get new workout ideas. If we're not already friends on dailymile, fix it! (Jenn S.) 

Happy Running!

So many of you have been sick! Are you feeling better? REST & eat your veggies/fruits!!

Do you have a 4 legged friend? Will you loan/him or her out so I can cuddle?

Back in action

I feel like a completely different person than I did this time last week. It's amazing what a difference 7 short days makes, but it's true. My efforts at rehabilitation paid off and Saturday morning I woke up feeling 100% again. I even slept until 9:30 - oops! - but managed to have a leisurely day with J and still get in my long run.

Checking off my long run

And yes, I proudly wore my Broncos gear all day Saturday. Football is such a cruel mistress, am I right?

I've pretty much resumed my normal activities this week. Last night I got in a great workout on the treadmill and trudged through three horrible games of volleyball. After we were finished I was oh so excited (read: not excited at all) to find a new achey spot in my knee. Good thing I've got my trusty ice pack to make it all better.....I hope. 

Today I decided to take my short, easy run outside to try out my new reebok wind jacket. It felt great to be off the treadmill, despite the chill in the air. I think I was going faster than my planned leisurely pace but lots of stops for traffic lights forced me to take lots of breaks.

On the bridge between KY & IN - failed attempt
to get the city in the background

An hour of yoga later and I'm whooped. Now for some quality time with Mr. Ice Pack & a bubble bath.

Wednesday Wish List

This week's wish centers around something I've ALWAYS wanted, but just didn't think I was built for: svelte, muscular arms. As a swimmer my upper body was always built a bit like a linebacker & being a bit chesty (Ok, more than a bit), I just didn't think It was possible. But in less than 9 months I will put on this:

So I'm adding strong sex arms to my wish list. Because when I slip on that wedding dress I want to look less like her

and more like her

Do you have any "trouble spots" that no amount of running seems to fix? 

How's the weather where you are?

Sidelined by sickness

I think I set a land speed record this morning for the rubber boot shuffle! While some of you have been dealing with "winter" for awhile now, we here in the bluegrass have had an unusually mild season speckled with just a few sub-30 degree days. Needless to say, I was not excited when I saw this:

"Feels like 5 degrees" = Feels like face breaking off into tiny shards. All I could think on my shuffle into work was, "You people run in this?" No thanks.

Last weekend I spent a few hours with my folks watching a UofL game that ended in double overtime sadness. Around half-time my dad started complaining of a sore throat & stuffy nose. 24 hours later I too had the sore throat and stuffy nose to go with my post-Basketball loss depression. When it comes to being sick I'm kind of odd. I can deal with pain no problem, but when it comes to stuffy-runny-pressure-cold/flu-related crap, I'm in agony. Worst of all, I hate cold medication. I know it's the only thing that will fix me up, but the hangover feeling I get from almost any kind of cold/flu medication just makes me feel abysmal.

Rather than get too depressed about being sick during training, I decided to go on the offensive: lots and lots of Vitamin C, multi-vitamins, fruits & veggies, water, pseudoephedrine, and rest.

3 Zero's in a row? Blah!

While I hate to see blanks in my training, I think my tactics may have worked. I woke up this morning with (mostly) clear sinuses and only a little cough. Thank God my sinuses finally opened up, I felt like a drunk sailor wobbling around most of Wednesday. Not really the professional sort of appearance I was hoping to put out.

Today is a planned rest day and I'm hoping I'll be able to get some sort of run in tomorrow. I have 6 miles scheduled, but I'm flexible. Just can't wait to get moving again!!

Food Journal Notes 
Last week I noticed my stomach was getting kind of upset after meals that involved a lot of dairy. Not just dairy, but straight milk (i.e. chocolate milk recovery or milk in a smoothie). I bought my first ever carton of soy milk and I have to say, I'm totally happy with it! Tastes awesome and no bellyaches. Jury's still out on yogurt or cheese yet. Greek yogurt doesn't seem to bother me, but cheese does. Any thoughts - does one have more lactose than the other? Weird.

Happy Friday the 13th everybody - hope you're safe and warm wherever you are!
Do you run when you have a cold? How sick do you have to be to cancel a workout?

Every year after the holidays we take stock of our lives and come up with a new set of resolutions for the coming days. Often these "resolutions" are overly ambitious and lofty pronouncements created after the two weeks of sheer gluttony and laziness we call "The Holidays". While made in good faith, these resolutions are often so ambiguous and unrealistic that we leave ourselves room only to fail. When a news anchor for CNN was asked what his resolution was he happily announced "I want to be a better husband and father." What does that even mean? Laughing, Josh said "it means he wants to stop cheating on his wife." Fair enough.

Thinking about Mr. News Anchor brings me to a good point about these resolutions: we set our sights on this improbable goal without any roadmap to get there. What good is 'I want to be a better father' if "i will stop cheating on my wife' is not included? Exactly. In the January 2012 issue of RunnersWorld, Ed Eyestone examines this problem with runners and comes to a similar conclusion. If you want to succeed, you need to set a defined goal and focus on the specific requirements for reaching it. For 2012 I have a couple of running and non-running related goals, and here are my plans for reaching them!

Run a Marathon

- Derby Festival Marathon April 25 2012

- Create a training plan and post it on the fridge (DONE!)

- Find a running group/partner to complete long runs 

- Run at least one 20 miler

- Use the blog & daily mile to keep me accountable for my training

Healthy Body for the Wedding

(Best way I could think of to say 'lose weight' without actually saying it)

- Maintain free lifetime Weight Watchers membership in 2012

- Try new vegetables and recipes! Add good finds to the blog

- Take stock of what I'm eating, how I feel, & how it effects me (30 day food journal challenge)

- Continue my effort to take the word "Fat" out of my vocabulary

Keep the Apartment Clean

(this one is my adult goal, mostly because having a messy apartment stresses me out!)

- Start from a "clean" slate by floor to ceiling scrub down (Done!)

- Bi-weekly cleaning on Sundays 

- Empty sink at night (no dirty dishes in the sink overnight!)

So it's taken me a little time to get these worked out, but I think I'm on the right track! One week down, 51 to go. You may note that there are a few big ticket items absent form this list (i.e. graduate from law school, pass the bar, get married). As far as I'm concerned, those aren't "goals" in the traditional sense. What it takes to accomplish/achieve those things was set in motion long ago and there's little I could do now to alter those outcomes. But I'll probably keep you up to date on all of that stuff too, you know, just in case ;)

Happy Monday Everybody!

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?