Exercise is fun!

So lately Trevor and I have been doing a lot of activities outdoors including taking walks, roller blading (and flying down a hill uncontrollably...scary), biking, and my favorite lately, tennis. Trevor was a pro in high school and won the winning match in his senior year state competition. Pretty impressive! So he has a lot of tennis gear and we wanted to make some use of it. We play at a nearby apartment complex that always has an empty court. At first I wasn't the biggest fan because I just couldn't make the ball go where I wanted it to but Trevor taught me some good tricks. We also bought some foam type balls that are easy to practice with when you are starting out. Now I can't get enough even though it's so hot, humid and sunny lately. Yesterday was an exception though and we took advantage. It was even a little chilly as we stepped out at 7:30pm. I had such a great time and am even getting a little competitive.

Now I have a big appreciation for tennis pros because it is way harder than it looks. Let me just say I really know why they make those grunting noises as they hit the ball. It takes a lot of effort to get that ball over the net sometimes. I laughed so hard the first time I made some sort of noise as I hit the ball because it was so on accident and it kinda surprised me...lol. I also feel like my right arm is so much stronger than my left and I have blisters on my hand. It's all worth it though because I am having so much fun. We will see how long this lasts but I would love to get really good at it. I have got to take advantage of the next month or so because the warm weather days will be gone before I know it.

I also have joined Jazzercise because Groupon offered a really great deal for two months of unlimited classes. I also have a studio less than a mile from my apartment. For those of you who don't know, Groupon is an awesome way to get some deals in your city. My cousin is the one who told me about it. All you do is sign up for free and everyday you receive an email with the daily discount. I got two months of unlimited classes for $39 and that was 70% off regular price. Pretty cool. I am also really happy because I was going to the YMCA for group exercise and their classes are pretty lame. I used to take classes in Texas that were so fun and more challenging but I guess Lincoln is a bit behind in the exercise department. Jazzercise is just what I needed to add a little boost of fun in my workouts.

Summer Events

Well first of all my friend Allison’s wedding turned out wonderful and the bride was happy! I mentioned before that I was super excited to give her my gift…well not so much the gift but the card because I cross-stitched it. I really wish I had a picture of the card because I was going to post it on my blog but I never took one. I am bad with taking pictures because I don’t think to take them until it's too late. Basically the card had a couple roses with the word love. I also personalized it by stitching their initials and the date of their wedding. She loved it and is going to frame it. I also got her a silver ware set that was on her registry. I went to Bed, Bath Beyond with something else in mind but somebody else bought it before I got there. It was perfect though because she was talking about her registries and mentioned she is most excited to get the Symphony silverware set from BBB and that she saw someone bought it. That someone was me and it took a lot for me not to blurt out that I was the one who bought it for her. Here is me with the beautiful bride :)

Since getting back from Texas on July 12^th we have been doing a whole lot of nothing. We were so drained from going to Chicago then immediately having company for 3 weeks then immediately going to Texas that we wanted to rest. LOL! I mostly think of things to cook during my days at work and

then spend a chunk of the evening cooking. We go for walks, do a little shopping here and there, and I have been working on my other cross-stitch a whole lot while watching TV. Streaming Netflix is not the greatest invention for people who easily get sucked into watching TV. That is why we don’t have TIVO or cable. I must say that I love Netflix though because it’s like having your own personal blockbuster on your computer and then it magically appears on your TV after you pick the movie or TV show. I have a love/hate relationship with Netflix. Trevor and I have been watching Nip/Tuck lately and it’s one of those addicting shows.

This past weekend was Trevor's birthday...Happy Birthday Boo! We went out with the gang to Buzzard Billies for dinner on Saturday night which serves Cajun type food and hit the Starlight Lounge afterward. The Starlight Lounge is a flash to the past type bar. It’s décor looks like the Brady Bunch’s living room so it’s pretty neat. They serve all sorts of martinis, classic mixed drinks, different types of Scotch and pretty much anything. I had a dirty martini which is my personal favorite and a Ruby Red martini. It was really good and had sugar on the rim. Then of course things got crazy and one of his friend’s bought a round of tequila shots. Oh dear. So after that we invited everyone to come back to our apartment and it was a lot of fun. Trevor had a great time serving his Prickly Pear drink and it was a hit! But then Sunday morning came and lets just say I haven’t had a hangover like that for a loooong time. Oh my goodness, I feel like I have so much more to write but I will save that for next time! I gotta catch up on my posts.

Me and my baby at the Starlight Lounge and then Trevor with his bright pink prickly pear juice.

Flying

So this summer is flying by! It's almost mid July and I can't believe it. The last 3 weeks have been busy with company. Trevor's family from Vermont came into town and stayed with us almost a full three weeks. Yes, I know what everyone is thinking. That's a long time! Well it was but we managed to have a lot of fun and Trevor got to spend time with his family without too much drama. We went to South Dakota to see Mount Rushmore and the Badlands. Then we went here and there in Lincoln finding new places that I have never even heard of. A couple of my faves would be Rocket Fizz. Thats a place with over 500 soda flavors and over 1000 candies including ones from back in the day when our parents went to the candy store. My kind of place I must say. Also we found this place....I am blanking on the name...but it's so cute. You can go in and knit or needle point and enjoy the little cafe. Since I knit and needle point, I am loving this hole in wall place. And if I need help on a stitch or pattern, there are experts there to help. I will certainly be spending much of my winter there if I am still in Lincoln. I will finally be able to have help making the afghan I have been working. And boy do I need help because I am stuck!

So Trevor's family left just in time for us to have two catch up days before we leave for Texas. That's right, today after work we will be driving to Texas because I am a bridesmaid in my friend Allison's wedding. I am really excited but I am also praying all goes well for her since there have been some hiccups this week. I have a feeling it will work out wonderfully. I am also really excited because tomorrow I get to meet my friend Leslie's new baby Rylan. The added bonus is my friend Brandy will be in town with her baby Avery and another friend Liz can come too! It will be kind of like old times minus a few people. And with babies! Last but not least I will get to spend some QT with the fam and that is always fun.

So I just need to get to 4:00pm and my jam packed 4 day weekend begins. Oh, and I can't wait to give Allison her gift but I will talk more about that later since she may read this post :)

We're Ready

So now that Trevor and I spent last night organizing cabinets, lime awaying faucets, vacumming under couch cushions and all those other fantastic chores that you put off until company comes, we are ready for his family to arrive. His mom, brother, aunt and pup are driving in from Vermont this evening. His aunt is actually from Toronto and is only staying a week while his brother and mom are staying for about 3 weeks. Wow! This is either going to be a fun or really long visit. Maybe both!

I am excited though for Trevor to spend a lot of time with his brother because PJ misses him. And it will be nice to get to know my potential future in-laws even more. So here are the recipes I know and love that I plan to cook while they are here and to hopefully impress his mom :)

Tuna noodle casserole (my specialty and personal favorite)
Ginger chicken stir fry
Beef stew and vegetables w/ rolls
Meet loaf and mashed potatoes
Lemon Chicken with rice
Spaghetti and salad
Lemon Bars
Potatoe salad with something summery like barbeque chicken and corn(potatoe salad is the star in this meal)
...and this pork tenderloin recipe I have and I am forgetting the name of it right now.

Chicago Weekend

It is almost noon on Monday and I am sipping my second cup of coffee. I usually never drink two cups in one day but I can't seem to wake up. I feel like I could lay my head down on my desk and fall fast asleep until 4pm rolls around. I am the only one in the office today and it is quiet. Hmmm....maybe I could take a nap. Haha, I could never do it.

I had a wonderful weekend in Chicago with family. We did a lot in 2.5 days and that is probably why I'm sleepy. We drove out to Chicago Thursday after a short day at work and arrived around 10:30pm. We made good time! Friday morning we went out for breakfast at Moon Dance Cafe with my Aunt Maureen and then Trevor and I hit a few spots in LaGrange, IL. We visited my Grandma and Mom's old house where I spent many summer vacations. Then we went to My Grandpa's Store which is a little candy store that I used to walk to. And lastly we went to Hot Rags which is a hippie/indie type store that has all sorts of fun things. I was happy it was still there.

After reminiscing we met up with my cousin Lindsay and went shopping and we ate at Portillo's. Mmmmm, yummy. Trevor had his first Italian Beef ever and I had a chili cheese dog and a chocolate cake shake. We also drove around looking at some pretty amazing houses and even drove through the surprisingly beautiful campus of Hamburger College for future McDonald's executives I guess. Then it was back to my Aunt Beth's house to see my Grandma, cousin Lisa, her husband Matt, and her two precious little boys, Logan and Meyer. So cute!! We ate pizza and had a water gun fight. I don't know who had more fun, Logan or Trevor...lol. We also got to witness Meyer walking (not for the first time but close to it).

Afterward, we drove to the city to stay at my cousin Lindsay's apartment. We went to a bar called Hop Leaf and then called it a night. Lindsay's apartment is too cute by the way. Saturday was another early day. We met with my cousin Laura and went on a Seadog speedboat ride for some thrills and to get a tour of Chicago from Lake Michigan. Then we walked to the Hancock Center and went up to the 95th floor to have a drink in The Signature Room. Too bad it was really cloudy and we could barely see out the window. Then it was back to Lindsay's apartment to drink some more and play games until it was time for the Andersonville Street Fest. We had some good food and listened to some tunes before calling it a night. Fun day!

Sunday was our last day. Lisa was running the half marathon early and she did an awesome job by the way making a new PR for herself! We met up with her and more family afterward and ate at Moon Dance Cafe again before hitting the road back to Lincoln. We had a wonderful time and thanks to all my Chicago family for bringing us in and showing us around!

Back to it!

Wow, it's been a long time since I updated and I have a reason. I started this blog to write about my training for the half marathon I was planning to run with my cousin in Chicago. Well, much to my disappointment, I had to stop training due to shin splints in both legs (worse on my right). Before that I was having issues with the ankle I twisted a couple years ago and my knee. Needless to say, upping mileage was not agreeing with me in time to be ready for the half marathon :( So I have avoided this blog since the purpose of it is gone. But I have suddenly become motivated to write again so I am going to take full advantage.

Today is Sunday and it's a sun shiny beautiful day! Here in a little while, my boyfriend and I are going to bike to the library which is about 4+ miles away. I just finished reading Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah recommended to me by the 75 year old retired minister at my office. He may be 75 but this guy has so much energy and is completely entertaining and cracks me up! Too bad he only visits every once in a while. The book was not too bad....a bit boring at first but livened up to a page turner by the end. This book also had a hard act to follow. The Help by Kathryn Stockett was recommended by my Aunt Beth and it was one of the best books that I have read. That's not too much to say for me personally because I haven't read that many books in my life but I am getting into it now. After my Aunt heard how much I enjoyed the book, she recommended Snowflower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. So I will be picking that up at the library today along with Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Julia Roberts is set to star in Eat, Pray, Love and she is one of my favorite actors. Did I mention I love books that are also made into movies? The Help is being filmed as we speak I believe and I can't wait until it comes out!

So now I must slather myself in some sunblock and get ready for the bike ride. I am not that big a fan of bike riding because it is uncomfortable for the butt bones. But every once in a while i will go out on a ride with my boyfriend because he enjoys it. Plus I must get a lot of use out of the $400 bike he bought me when I moved to Nebraska! The last time I had a bike was in my early teen years and I don't remember it being uncomfortable then. Bike riding is a great workout for the legs too, but my legs are so sore today. Trevor's co worker let him borrow the Insanity Fit Test CD. I don't know if anyone has seen the Insanity infomercial but it's basically a workout for the insane. We did the fit test cd yesterday and boy are my legs sore! I think I will stick to my regular working out which I will discuss some other time. Ok, time to ride!

Doing Good!

So last I updated, I was only training on the elliptical to give my knee and ankle some time to recover and get stronger for training. It worked because about a week and a half later I ran 2 miles and it felt pretty good. I continued to run every other day building up to 3 miles with no pain and I was excited. Then came Vegas. I say it as though Vegas was a negative experience but it was so far from it. I celebrated my cousin Kim's beautiful wedding, spent time with my wonderful family, saw the sights with my boyfriend who had never been to Vegas before, and partied! The downside was after Vegas because I didn't squeeze a single run in for the 6 days I was there. Despite not running in Vegas, I came back extremely motivated because I saw my cousin who is also going to run the half marathon. We talked about our training schedules and signing up for the race. It is nice to know someone else is working hard just like me even if it's a few states away. Plus she has two little ones that she pushes along while running so I have nothing to complain about. She is awesome!

Upon my return from Sin City, I gave myself one full day to rest and catch up on sleep before throwing myself back into training The next day came and I ended up taking a 4 hour nap with my boyfriend after work. I woke up shocked for sleeping so long and forced myself out of bed to get a quick bite for dinner. I was determined to run that day and it was dark by the time I was ready. I really wanted to run outside so my sweetheart rode his bike with me while I ran. It was really nice and we saw a ton of deer. I was back on track! I haven't missed a workout yet even with sinus issues and I even ran 4 miles on Sunday! It did a number on my shins though so hopefully that goes away. Today is a 2.5 mile day so I am going to take it slow and enjoy some music on this beautiful day.

April 17th- Novartis Run, 10k
June 13th- 13.1, half marathon...in CHICAGO!!!

I am signed up for both and there is no turning back now!!

Resilience!

My workouts have been on the elliptical machine for about the last week. No knee pain or anything. I also have been doing more leg, arm, and ab strengthening. I will probably continue this for about another week and then ease back into running again. I am pretty sure I am not going to even attempt the Lincoln half but there is a slight possibility that I could change my mind if running goes well. It wouldn't be the worst thing if I only ran 10 miles of the race and walked the rest. Only time will tell what the future has in store. In the mean time I remain optomistic!

On a different note, a word that I have been incorporating into my life a lot lately is resilient. It is so fascinating how anytime I have something negative go on I just think "have resilience" and I am easily able to move on. For example, something bothers me in the office. Nothing really bad or unfair happens at my work but I find myself focusing too much on a single negative moment. Now I just think "have resilience" and surprisingly I am able to move on and forget about it. I even put a post it on my desk that says BE RESILIENT.

The reason I came up with this new phrase is because my boss brought up the fact that there is a difference between academic intelligence and emotional intelligence. Many people are able to succeed in school or jobs but have a hard time with relationships and personal situations. I was telling my boss about a certain someone that I deal with from time to time and my boss said, "they lack emotional intelligence." I have never thought about this kind of intelligence. I went on the internet and started reading about it and thought I could use some of the information for myself. That is where I started using the word resilient. A simple article on the internet might have changed the way I handle situations from this point on. I just had to blog about this.

My Progress

My training started last week and lets just say it is not going like I want it to. I mentioned before that my knee would start hurting after a mile into the run. Well, things haven't changed much to my disappointment. I think I need to ease into running more slowly and strength train. This puts a stop to my half marathon training program for right now but I am not going to stop running completely. There is a half marathon 6 weeks later than the one I was planning to run. It's in Chicago and my cousin is actually training to run that one as well. If my strength training and additional rest days help ease me back into a harder schedule, then I will definately run it with her. I am not going to get my hopes up too much because this pain might not disappear like I would like it too and I am already pretty bummed about this surprise pain that is delaying my training plan. It's a win win situation though in my opinion. If I can't run in Chicago, it just gives me a great opportunity to visit family and cheer on my cousin. Tonight is a run night so wish me luck that my knee feels good!

My ultimate plan was to run these two half marathons and then move on to a different type of exercise. After completion of the half marathons, I am going to get certified to teach exercise classes. I have a few types of classes that I would like to instruct but I have not narrowed down my choices to one. I have a CPR class scheduled because I know that you need to be CPR certified. Then I have a couple people I need to contact who already instruct so they can guide me on the best way to increase my knowledge and what I need to know for the test. Different websites say different things about books and study courses. I just don't want to get sucked into spending $500 on books that won't help me or taking unecessary courses. So my summer will be full of learning and exercise fun!

Happy healthy living to all!

Worries

So I haven't officially started my 12 week training program for the half marathon yet but I have been running for a couple weeks regularly...rather than once a week. The last two times that I ran, my right knee starts to hurt after about a mile and just gets worse until I stop. This worries me because it may mean that I need to take it easy for now. Well, I can't take it easy because my training starts next week! I decided to ice my knee after running and it made my joint even harder to move. You see, right after I stop running my knee feels fine so the icing made me feel the pain again. I don't get it. For right now I am taking full advantage of resting and still hoping that the knee pain goes away.

A little background. About a year and half ago I twisted my right ankle and it has never felt the same. These days I only feel aches in my ankle after I workout. I think while I am running I land differently on my right foot so not to aggravate my ankle. Maybe this is why my knee hurts. Also, I have been running on a treadmill in this nasty Lincoln cold and I am used to running outside.

While I am expressing my knee issues, I bought a new pair of shoes Tuesday night. I went with the experts advice to get a half size larger. I voiced my hesitation because I have always run in a size 7 shoe but he assured me that with the larger mileage I would need a little more room for my feet to swell. So last night was my first night to run in the new shoes and I have to say that I did not like the extra room in the toe area. I wish I could say my knee pain was from these shoes but my knee started hurting before I got the new ones. So tonight I will be returning the shoes for the size I need and getting the pair that was $30.00 cheaper. I trusted what the expert was saying but had a gut feeling that I would not like the extra room. I have a narrow foot to begin with so I think there is already a little room for swelling.

All in all, my mind is just a little worried about running so much. I worry about my knee and my ankle. My mind made this decision that I would run a half marathon and now I feel like my body is telling me not to. I don't want a pain in my body to take away from something I really want to do. I'm not giving up! I am just hoping that when I run tomorrow my right leg feels like my left leg :)

I got my own blog...fun!

So lately I have been reading a lot of other people's blogs and came to the conclusion that I would like start one as well. The reason I suddenly thought this is because I am going to run a half marathon. This blog will serve as motivation for me to stick to my 12 week training schedule to be ready for race day on May 2nd.

I ran cross country in high school and really wish I had the endurance that I did back then. I guess when you don't run for a few years and then go into spurts of running one month and not the next, you don't really get to keep it. Even though we used to train like crazy and run 40+ miles a week back in high school, I can only think of one day that I ran 12 miles all at once. So why decide 8 years after my cross country days to run a 13.1 mile race? Well, I have always wanted to and I found some people that kinda gave me a push and excitement about the whole thing. A few of my boyfriend's co-workers kept talking about this half marathon they are going to run and I decided to do it as well.

Today I picked a training schedule(the link is at the bottom) and bought a new pair of running shoes since the ones I was using were worn. The schedule is pretty easy at first and increases in mileage 10% each week. February 8th will be day one of my training schedule and I am pretty pumped. Until then I am just running like I usually do and taking it easy. Wish me luck!

Half Marathon Training Schedule