a post of updates.

I've had a serious lack of posts lately. I just recently received a promotion and I now work at a different location. The new position cut my commute in half – woohoo! And I have my own office and everything. It’s like I’m a grown-up or something! So I thought I’d take this opportunity to give a few updates on recent posts.

First of all, the garden. It started out a little rocky in late May with my tiny little seedlings holding on for dear life. They actually grew to be ridiculously large and healthy plants (thank you homemade compost!), but I didn’t get to harvest anything until early September. Being a veggie garden newbie, I’m not sure if this is normal, but my bell peppers didn’t get a chance to grow to full size before I had to pull them for frost and freezing temperatures. Oh the joys of living in Michigan. Next year I’ll definitely start the garden sooner. Anywho, take a glance at the photo below and you’ll see everything I’ve had to harvest. I’ve already devoured several tomatoes, and have probably given away around 20 of ‘em. Quick! I need tomato recipes! (I did consider chucking a few at a house in my neighborhood sporting an Iowa flag after the Michigan football game last Saturday night… dang Hawkeyes.)

Now for the beloved topic of running. Brad and I still have the goal of completing the Thanksgiving Day 5k in Toledo, however, we’ve been slacking a bit. So starting yesterday we will be hitting the gym hardcore for the next 6 weeks. And if we visit the gym 15 times in the next 6 weeks, we’re going to totally reward ourselves. Maybe some Ben & Jerry’s Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream? Mmmmm.

It has also been 6 weeks since my Mom and I decided to halt our shopping for one full year. It actually hasn’t been hard, probably because I’ve been avoiding my favorite stores. Next week I’m traveling to Brooklyn to visit my good friend for a few days. One of my favorite parts of visiting NYC is going to Canal Street and seeing all of the vendors selling great knock-off bags and accessories at bargain prices. No Canal Street shopping on this trip to the big apple. Maybe I’ll just have a looksie… must. be. strong.

Happy Hump Day, y'all!

to be, or not to be.

I have recently found myself at a serious turning point. To be a runner, or not to be a runner. I started running my senior year of college, with the goal of completing a 5k race. In April of 2005, I completed that goal with my best friend, and it felt amazing. But when it was over, running slowly slipped away from my to-do list.

Fast forward 3 years. With the encouragement of my friends and a new gym membership, I decided to give running another shot with a different 5k to look forward to: the Smoke the Turkey Thanksgiving 5k in Toledo, Ohio that several of my friends were participating in. Again, I was able to accomplish my goal of finishing the 5k. And again, I took a serious break from running when it was over.

Then, last spring I agreed to a third 5k with a large group of co-workers. The Race for the Cure was held last May, and I had my best time ever. I was super proud of myself, and it felt amazing to finish the race beating my goal time. But it is currently 5 months later, and I haven’t been running. I’ve replaced pounding the pavement with yoga and elliptical work-outs, and every time I enter the gym I stay away from the treadmill like it’s the plague.

I look at other runners with envy. How did they find the motivation to go for a run? How do people run almost every single day? Is something wrong with me that I have no motivation? Is it normal to not be a consistent runner? I started thinking maybe it’s just not for me. Maybe I’m just not a runner. Maybe I just need to give up, so I can move on and do other activities.

My husband and I were at breakfast Saturday morning, and I started to share my dilemma with him. To my surprise, he announced that he’d like to start running and complete this year’s Smoke the Turkey 5k with me. What a renewed sense of spirit that gave me! Just knowing that he has the desire to run with me makes me want to lace up my sneakers and hit the pavement pronto!

So after all of this, I think I’ve realized it’s okay to have hills and valleys with your desire and motivation to do a certain activity. If you really and truly enjoy it, you’ll find new ways to be motivated and get through those times when you’d rather do the laundry, dishes, and vacuum before stepping on a treadmill. Maybe I’ll go through life not being a consistent I-have-to-run-at-least-3-times-a-week-or-I’ll-die runner. Maybe I’ll go through life running when I want to, and when I don’t, replacing it with other activities I find enjoyable—yoga, bike riding, tennis, or just playing with my dog. So I have my husband to thank for this revelation. Thanksgiving Day 5k—here we come!

update.

Good gracious it's been so long since I've posted. Didn't mean to neglect... just tied up with holidays, vacations, and other fun summer stuff. We got home Sunday from a week-long road trip to Lake Travis, Texas to celebrate my grandmother's 90th birthday. Yup, I said 90... and she's frickin' amazing. We had 100+ temps all week, but were blessed with a fabulous air conditioned lakehouse, and lots of games and good food, so we managed to get through just fine.

I got a quick taste of what a bikram yoga class would be like (a class purposfully held in 95-100 degrees). One afternoon I went onto the sun-filled west-facing deck to do yoga. I only lasted 20 minutes, and can only imagine what a 90-minute class would be like! Makes me sweat just thinking about it.

It was such a great get-away, and Lake Travis is beautiful. Definitely a perfect way to celebrate such a monumental event, and to spend quality time with my amazing family. I miss them already!

mid-week mantra

My dog, Bo, and I ran our first 5k together last night. It wasn't an organized event - just the two of us going out in the 'hood after work. I started with 2 miles and finally worked up to 3.1 because I didn't want to push him or go to fast. He's so stinking cute and I get the feeling he really enjoys himself when we're running. The interesting thing is that he runs behind me almost the whole time... with a big smile on his face. I need to find a way to take a picture of him running behind me, because every time I turn around to check on him it makes me laugh when I see the look on his face. Oh, how I love him.

In other news, I just wanted to give a shout-out to one of my favorite faux meat products out there - the Fantastic World Foods taco mix. It takes literally 5 minutes to prepare and is so yummy even my husband loves it. Just add beans, veggies, and cheese to a taco shell for a yummy mexican meal. Ole!

ready... set...

Tomorrow morning I'll be participating in a huge event - the annual Race for the Cure in downtown Dee-troit. I've never been to this particular race or any other event focusing on raising the awareness of breast cancer, so I'm expecting tomorrow to be an eye-opening event.

Me and 25 co-workers from Chrysler Financial will be running or walking together. This is my third 5k competish, and my goal is to have my best 5k time ever: 32:00. I can do it!!!

new toy.

Yes, I said toy. When was the last time I bought myself something fun? Something just for me? Well, the last I could remember is my original iPod mini, which I purchased in college. So, it's been quite a while, and I feel it was well deserved. So, while my main reason for getting a pretty new bike is to ride her around town, who knows? Maybe I'll branch out and hit a few trails this summer. Wouldn't that be great?!

much-needed motivation.

Even though I have a goal for my third 5k race coming up in May (Race for the Cure, downtown Detroit), it is still difficult to find the will to visit the gym after work. Why is this? First of all by the time I get to the gym, it's dark and cold outside and my mind is telling my body to relax for the evening. Second, the couch is just way too comfy.

With the onset of New Year's and the resolutions that come with it, a lot of the employees I speak to at work are also bogged down with finding fitness motivation. So I thought I'd share some motivation tips for getting our butts off the couch.

1. Set simple and realistic goals. Lose 20 pounds in a month? Not realistic and bound to make you feel like a failure. Make sure your goals are specific, too. Instead of your goal being to work out more, have your goal be to work 4 days a week instead of 3.

2. Start slowly and be patient. You may become frustrated and give up if you push yourself too hard. For example, I'm planning on increasing my mile time by 20 seconds every 2 weeks, giving my body plenty of time to adjust and become comfortable with the increased speed.

3. Vary your activities. Walking alone will get super boring after a while. Try walking one day, yoga the next, and lifting weights a third. This will keep your workouts mixed up and interesting.

4. Have fun! My friend Salina reminded me of this when I complained to her I was seriously slacking off at the gym. It's supposed to be fun, so make sure to do an activity you enjoy!

5. Reward yourself. Met that realistic and short-term goal? Buy yourself a magazine or a new shade of nail polish. Remember how it feels to accomplish that goal, and keep on keeping on.

6. Most important in my eyes, be flexible! Don't beat yourself up if you're simply too tired or don't feel like exercising. Just be sure to get back on track when you get over your slump.