Blessed...

I thought of many different titles for this post...but none of them seemed as fitting as "blessed" because that is exactly how I feel!

I am so unbelievably blessed to have some amazing friends.  Megan and Jenn got up before the butt crack before dawn to come and cheer me on at my race!

So many people left encouraging and supporting messages for me on facebook. 

And really, I am just so thankful that the Lord has given me the ability to run.  I am not fast.  I can't run amazingly long distances.  But I feel that I am using some of the talents that He gave me.  Whether it be solely for my own therapeutic purposes or in ways that I don't even know...I am his masterpiece =)

With that being said, let me tell you a little bit about the race.  This was the first race I have ever ran in my whole entire life.  I never even "ran" the mile in high school.  I walked it.  Every.  Single.  Time.  My thoughts regarding the race were this: 1) I just want to finish.  2) If nothing else the race was held on a cool date - 9/10/11. 

Amazingly enough, I wasn't that nervous leading up to the race.  About a half an hour before "take off" is when the nerves kicked in.  I remember looking at my watch and telling Megan and Jenn that my heart rate was 130 bpm and I hadn't even started running yet!  Here is a pre-race photo with my cheering section!

Funny story.  We were standing here chatting and a man came up to me and asked me if I knew where the 10K starting line was.  I, of course, said I had no idea!  He replied with...well, doesn't your shirt say "STAFF" on it?!  Um, yeah.  Maybe, a poor t-shirt choice but it's comfy and in my defense all the staff were wearing red t-shirts.  Well, Jenn and Meg took a liking to this man and took some very nice pics of him for me while I was running.  Enjoy.

Bahaha!  Creepy, right?!  He was skin and bones...probably weighed 85lbs. soaking wet!  But I have to give him props, he found the starting line and he runs faster than I do =)
So, the race began.  Everyone ran really fast.  I was definitely in the back of the pack.  We hit the mile 1 marker and my watch said 6:50.  Not going to lie, they probably needed to remeasure their distance because there is no way on God's green earth I ran a mile in under 7 minutes.  The mile markers were interesting...there would be a huge sign saying "Mile 3" and then 400 yards later there would be spray paint on the ground that said "Mile 3"!  What is a girl with out a garmin supposed to think?!

The path was well marked and the there were cops at intersections to direct traffic.  When the 10K and 5Kers split, I could see a girl in front of me and it was my goal to catch her.  I finally did.  She was doing the run for a certain amount of time and then walk for a certain amount of time method.  I gained some ground while she was walking...but then she would come zooming out of nowhere and run for awhile.  Eventually, she petered out and I didn't see her until after I had finished.  It was fun to run with her for awhile even if she wasn't that friendly.  I tried smiling at her and got nothing.  Sheesh!  I figure misery loves company...but apparently she didn't like my company. 

I felt pretty good until probably around mile 5.5.  Who really knows with their funky markers!  The last mile was a mental struggle.  At this point it was hot.  The sun had been shining down on me for most of the race.  I had hit up all the water stations but definitely think that if I race again I would consider carrying my own water bottle. 

This pic was the home stretch.  I definitely picked up speed once I could see the finish line.  I also took my ear buds out so I could hear the cheering.  It was pretty cool considering I was the only person about to finish.  I look like I'm sleeping and doing something crazy with my lips...that's determination, ladies and gentlemen, pure determination!

Stupid guy was standing in front of the clock!  My final time was 1:17:45.  Which is a 12:31 pace.  I was pretty happy with that.  My goal was 1:15:00, so I'll take it!  I think I could have done a little better if it had been cooler out. 

This is my "thumbs up, I didn't die picture".  Megan pointed out that I wasn't even out of breath...hmm maybe could have pushed harder?  I'll just go with, "I have a great recovery time". 

Final pic, I promise.  My cheering section.  They have starbucks...I have oranges and water.  A good morning had by all =) 

Will I race again?

I dunno.  I think it would be a lot more fun to run with people who run my pace.  The majority of the race I ran alone.  I was afraid I was going to get lost and it didn't really feel like a race running alone...just like any other morning run.  So, I either need to get some speed or find some people who run nice and slow like me!  My trainer seems to think I should train for a half marathon.  I think that sounds like A LOT of work. 

I do think I picked a good race for my first one.  It wasn't huge but it wasn't tiny either.  I'm not going to lie.  It was intimidating seeing people walk around that looked super fit.

The moral of the story is: I came, I saw, and I conquered.  That translates into: I started, finished, and wasn't dead last.  Second to last, thank you very much.  Oh, and I didn't walk at all.  So... hooray!  Ok, I am very impressed if you read all of this and am so very sorry that it became long winded.  I promise I'm done now =)

Jica...What?!?!

Dear Blog World,

For those of you who know me...which is probably all of you.  You know that I MAYBE eat 3 vegetables all together.  Well, I have been working with the trainer (envision her talking at me and me giving her a lot of eye rolls) on eating properly.  First of all, I just want to say eating healthy is not fun, it's expensive, and kind of time consuming.  One of her goals for me is to eat more vegetables, which means I have to TRY more vegetables.  BLECH! 

She insisted that I try a Jicama.  She said it's sweeter like an apple.  I don't know what kind of apple she is eating but I disagree.  Anyway, she said you just peel it, cut it up, and eat it.  And if I didn't like it I could dip it in peanut butter, hummus, or something like that.  So, I figured what do I have to lose?! 

Ok, so I finally worked up the courage to try it with moral support from a friend.  I started to peel it only to realize that our potato peeler sucked and that wasn't going to do the job.  So I got a paring knife.  Unfortunately, since I never cook I have no business using a paring knife and was almost certain I was going to cut off a finger trying to peel this baby.  Luckily, my friend was all over that.  The Jicama was peeled before I knew it and I was putting a piece of that potato looking veggie in my mouth. 

It really doesn't have that much flavor and was kind of boring to eat by itself.  So, I promptly got out the peanut butter which made everything better.  I'll chalk this one up as a win.  It didn't make me gag and it's supposedly good for me.  So I bought another one.  Any suggestions on what I should try next?

In Case You Were Wondering...

• My race is in 5 days...Holy Crap!  5 DAYS!

• I ran 7 miles the other night in 1:26:47.  I only stopped at stop lights and didn't walk at all.  If my race could be like this, I would be a happy girl.

• I think I'm going to love fall running. 

• School starts back up again on Wednesday.  I'm pretty sure I'm already behind.  They should have never given me a 2 1/2 week break because all I did was hone my lazy skills.

• It's getting darker earlier...I hate that.

• I REALLY need to pick a topic for my Thesis or what I shall refer to as my 682 project.  The first part of it is due on Thursday.  Details...

• I'm broke.  Like, hard core broke.  Haven't been this poor since my undergrad...maybe not even then because I had a job, le sigh. 

• I miss my friends.

Sprinting...

I have a love/hate relationship with sprints.  When running outside it is so much work to look at your watch to see if you can walk again...and 15 seconds goes way faster than you would ever imagine.  But the glorious thing about sprints is that it is a short workout.  15 minutes today and that included warm up and cool down.  It's pure torture...don't get me wrong...but supposedly it is supposed to make me faster. 

Anywho, this is a new tank top.  I broke down and bought some wick away material tanks because my skin is not loving this run in 80 degree heat in an old t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up stuff.  Now I need to buy a hand held water bottle.  I finally made myself run with water the other day.  It definitely helped the end of my run but took some getting used to.  I just held a 16.9 oz water bottle awkwardly throughout my run...but I think it would be more pleasant if I bought this one...which I may have my eye on. 

19 days!!!!!!!!!



Note to Self...

Food is fuel, not comfort. 

Boo-ya!

5.14 miles.  57:20.  Look out 10K I'm coming to get you!

I Almost Died This Week...

Ok, slight exaggeration...but it sure felt like it!  My gym was closed for cleaning this week...lame, trust me, I know!  We were eligible to go to other clubs but that would require more driving and I'm a semi-busy girl ;)  So, unfortunately not doing anything wasn't an option.  I really, really wish it had been but since my race is just a little over a month away (Eeek!) I came up with a plan.  It went a little like this:

Do every single run outside this month so you do not die on race day!

 Well, I am happy to report that I have logged 5 runs outside and about 17 miles...still here, still kickin it.  Let me tell you, I thought running was hard in general but running outside is a whole new ball game.  Here are some issues/barriers/challenges I met along the way:

1)  The ground is not flat.  Sidewalks disappear.
2)  The sun is hot and humidity is not my friend.
3)  Hated the wind at first since I was running against it...then realized it was really a blessing in disguise keeping me cool.
4)  People make cat calls and stare as you "run" by...YUCK!
5)  If someone wanted to abduct me it wouldn't be hard cause I'm already running as fast as I can!
6)  I hate running with stuff in my hands therefore I have not had water with me...I might have to suck it up and by one of those belt thingies.  I can make it about 45 minutes but anything beyond that I realized I NEED the water!
7)  There isn't a lovely display screen in front of me telling me how long I have been running for and what mile I'm on.  I do have my watch on but its hard work to lift that arm when all you're trying to do is put one foot in front of the other!
8)  Pacing...what's that?!
9)  Luckily I haven't had any bathroom issues yet...
10)  You get rained on.

So, yeah, I e-mailed my trainer to let her in on my plan and she acted all surprised that I hadn't been running outside.  Psh, AC, fans, water, mile counter, moving platform...why the heck would I run outside?!  She informed me that from now on rain, shine, or humidity, I would be doing my runs outside.  SUPER. 

Another thing I  have noticed is that running outside is brutal on my body.  My hips hurt...well, I just kind of hurt all over.  I started sleeping like crap again...trainer attributes this to the extra stress on my body.  I'm meeting with her on Monday, so we shall see if she cuts back on my mileage or is just going to torture me with no sleep.  Speaking of sleep...I'm going to bed.  Sorry for this really boring, pictureless post.

XOXO,
     NMO

2 miles...

Yesterday's training plan called for a 20 min. run in zone 3.  I was really excited cause twenty minutes is nothing these days.  I thought about running outside but opened the front door and couldn't breathe.  So to the treadmill I went.  It was the end of the week so none of my normal workout clothes were clean.  So I ended up wearing shorts that were too big for me and a yoga top...which usually I hate running in cause they ride up.  Thank you fat stomach.  Despite my horrible outfit choice...I had an absolutely amazing run. 

Before I started I had mentally told myself I was going to push myself.  Well, I started my 7 minute warm-up increased the speed to past what I normally do, maintained that for about 10 or so minutes.  Checked my heart rate.  Hmmm. Still not high enough.  Checked my heart rate strap, wiggled it around to make sure it was working properly.  Increased my speed.  I was already at about 20 minutes but I felt so awesome that I figured I might as well finish out the mile.  Increased my speed.  Not going to lie.  These two miles were probably the best run I have ever had.  I could have kept running but decided not to since I knew what I had waiting for me on Monday.  Thank God for good runs...they make all the bad runs totally worth it!  (and in ill fitting clothes, nonetheless!)

XOXO,

      NMO

Deck O' Death...

So, I met with my trainer yesterday for my monthly meeting.  I had e-mailed her before the meeting to warn her that she was probably going to be yelling at me but didn't elaborate why.  Got up at 7:15 ish to drag my arse there by 8:00 a.m.  The idea of working out at that point was not appealing.  At. all.   Of course, she asked me how things were going and why she was going to yell at me.  I just handed her my less than half filled out workout log.  Amazingly enough she didn't yell.  She did ask how I was sleeping, which I was very happy to report...much, much, better.  She was happy to hear that and figured I had probably been on my way to chronic fatigue syndrome...ok, I don't remember if that was the name of it but something like it.  Basically, she said it was probably good I backed off on my training and that if I had two nights in a row where I wasn't sleeping to let her know right away. 

So, anyway, we discussed how busy I have been with school and how it was easier to get my runs in cause I had a treadmill right at home and didn't have to take the time to drive to the gym as I would for lifting.  Her face lit up and she asked me if I had ever heard of the Deck of Death workout.  I gave her that look that said...do I really wanna hear about it?  She explained that she uses it when she travels.  And since I didn't need a new strength program (cause I only did last months once, GASP!) she said she would teach me that.  Note to self:  Never ever skip your regular strength work outs again!

Ok, here is a rundown on the rules.  Obviously there are different variations out there and you can pretty much do what you want.

Each suit stands for a specific body part, that way you get a full body work out.  Otherwise you can just designate the suits for two specific body parts if you are trying to focus on something.  You pick one exercise from each suit. Cards are face value and Jacks are 11, Queens are 12, Kings are 13, and Aces are 14.  You go through the whole deck or for an hour.  I had about 10 cards left yesterday...probably because I spent a lot of time whining to the trainer so I could rest a little...that and I had a 7 minute warm-up. 

Hearts: (arms) push-ups, walking push-ups, judo push-ups, row push-ups, wide push-ups, bench dips, bear crawl, crab walk, twist-up push-ups, diamond push-ups), dolphin push-ups


Spades: (legs) lunges, double lunges, squats, squat holds, wall sits, squat jumps (optional + 1 legged jumps for single digits), lunge jumps


Diamonds: (abs) sit-ups, triple sit-ups, v-ups, bicycles, butterfly kicks, jackknives, crunches, side crunches, rockies

Clubs: (cardio) sprints, burpees, squat jumps, jump rope, mountain climbers, high knees, sets of stairs

Not going to lie.  It kind of sounds easy but it is really, really, really hard!  This is what I felt like when I was done.

Not three hours after the workout I was already feeling sore.  And boy, oh boy, can I feel it today. 
 
XOXO,
      NMO
 
 
P.S.  She tried to get me to do Burpees yesterday and I flat out refused.  I'm kind of  a snot like that.  But I was already dying and I figured if I was going to continue to die I was going to do it with some other form of torture that I appreciate more! 

In a Funk...

Is this not the coolest thing you have ever seen?  I pretty much love it and may try to reproduce it while doodling in class...with no success, I'm sure!  

Anyway,  I don't have anything exciting to share.  In fact this post is going to be quite the opposite.  So, 4th of July weekend, right?!  I should be totally stoked I get an extra day off school and blah, blah, blah.  That is exactly how I feel is BLAH! 

Friday I went to Bunker Beach with Britt.  Nothing like laying in the sun for four or so hours.  Normally I would be ecstatic about this.  I'll admit I was pretty excited and I did get a nice burn/tan but I was just kind of out of it.  Did absolutely nothing Friday night on my long list of  "to dos". 

Saturday.  I was supposed to work out cause I skipped on Friday cause I'm LAZY!  But I was in a major funk.  I was in one of those moods where in high school I would have asked my friends if you could be depressed if I knew I was depressed.  I really don't think I'm depressed, maybe just down.  Anyway, woke up at 8:00 a.m. and did absolutely nothing until noon.  Decided that maybe if I showered there would be life in me and I could be a normal human.  Eh, it kind of worked.  I left the house cause I figured it couldn't hurt.  But what do you do when you have no one to hang out with in the area.  You go shopping.  Hello retail therapy.  I did purchase 6 tank tops for around $12.  I'm awesome I know, but even that didn't make me feel better.  Got home and then mom wanted to go shopping.  At that point I had decided I was going to the gym but she was excited so I nixed the gym...once again...and went shopping with her.  Still felt lame.  Watched TV that night and went to bed. 

Today.  Feeling a little better.  Went to church.  Bought some groceries.  Worked on a paper.  Made some brownies.  Worked on a paper some more.  Watched a little TV with mom.  Need to run today!!!! 

So, here is what I would like to complete before the end of Monday:

Clean my bathroom.  I share with my bro and it is so disgusting I can barely stand it.  I NEVER let my bathroom get this bad...usually I am anal!

I would really like to finish both of my papers but realistically if I could finish the history paper and start the research paper my life would be so much nicer this week.

Laundry.  I don't have any clean shorts.  Or pants for that matter.  Hmm, come to think of it I need to do this tonight so I have some clothes to wear tomorrow!

Pick up my room.  This usually happens when I do laundry.  But I have a half unpacked bag sitting in the middle of my room from my trip last weekend and beach towels from my Friday's excursion laying on the floor.  Driving me nuts.  It's a miracle I have been able to get any paper writing done. 

This is probably the most important.  I need an attitude adjustment.  I've been positive self-talking myself up the wazoo with little results.  Sometimes I just think we need to go to that dark place so we can appreciate the happy times...right?! 

I have been scheduling my work outs and then coming up with every excuse under the sun not to do them.  It's pathetic.  I know better and my body deserves better.  Now if only I could get my body and mind in sync and I'd be in business.  Oh, my trainer is not going to be happy with me! 

So, yeah, this is what is on my mind.  A lot of nothing and a lot of everything.  Encouraging words and motivation are welcomed!!!

XOXO,

    

         NMO

Celebrate...

This is my friend, Jenn.  You should be jealous of me because she is awesome.  I hit the jackpot in the friend department.  Anyway, today is her 26th birthday so I'm showing her a little love, you should too!! 

10 reasons why I love this girl!

1)  She is a gentle source of encouragement.
2)  She is the voice of reason...I need that a lot.
3)  I once threw a glass of water on her and she still talks to me.  (Long story but basically I'm a horrible friend).
4)  She's my mom.
5)  Someday she is going to raise my children. 
6)  She knows how everyone is related to everyone and probably the latest tidbit of gossip.
7)  When I lived with her she cooked for me!
8)  Her faith is inspiring.
9)  We can go months without talking and pick up right where we left off.
10)  She understands my sarcasm, knows my past, knows all my faults and loves me anyway!

Happy 26th Birthday Jenn!  Next time we are together I will make you cupcakes.  They will be delicious.  We will eat and we will laugh!  Thank you for being such a great friend!  Love you!

Losing Focus...

It is official.  A couple of months ago I signed up for my first race.  My goal is not to beat other people...my goal is to finish without dying.  I will be doing the 10k.  Right now my goal time is 1:20.  Which I think is doable.  I have never ran a race.  I hate running outside.  There are hills outside and I have to keep my legs going.  When I'm on the treadmill I usually run at an incline of 1 or 1.5 and IT keeps my legs going.  If I don't keep going I'm going to fall off.  Can't we just transfer that to outside...

Confession.  I have been a total slacker with my workouts.  I have been getting my runs in on Mon, Tues, and Wednesday but then doing absolutely nothing Thurs, Fri, Sat, and Sun!  Eek!   That's bad, very bad.  81 days until the race...but whose counting.  I met with my trainer the other day.  She set up a new strength plan for me.  I was getting so bored of the old one.  I am pretty sure I whined the whole session.  It is going to kick my butt.  Not even exaggerating.  Also, she is making me do a lot of weird things.  I already look like crap when I'm exercising but now you want me to slam a ball down that makes lots of noise and then bear crawl across the gym?!  Eye rolls were needed I swear...Note to trainer:  I am more apt to do everything you want me to if I don't look like a complete retard doing it.  

I need to get my butt in gear and my mind back in the game.  I have been using homework as an excuse.  Yeah, I have a lot of homework but I could manage my time better.  It pains me to say that.  I'm probably not accomplishing much anyway in the two hours I could be working out.  Seriously, the internet is the devil and provides all sorts of distractions.  So, wish me luck and please tell me to get my butt in gear...I respond well to mean comments and guilt!

XOXO,

     NMO

Organized...not so much!

Well, this is my last ditch effort of procrastination before I shower and start my paper that is due tomorrow.  This week has kind have been the week of hell.  Three papers and one presentation.  It wouldn't have been so bad if I would have completed a little more homework this weekend.  Instead I was chillin with my peeps at the 20's/30's retreat.  Totally worth the chaos this week though not gonna lie. 

With the increase work load...homework that is...I find myself putting off my runs or leaving them until last minute.  I am the queen of excuses, trust me!  I haven't been to the gym...since...I can't remember when!  Scary, very scary!  I got back from the retreat and stepped on the scale.  Eek!  I had gained 5lbs.!  No. Thank. You.  I think some of it was water weight cause I've lost a couple already but it is a nice little reminder of how easy it is to get out of the "good" habits and back into the old.  The scale definitely reflected that. 

I was hoping that this weekend could be used as catch up but it is getting filled quickly.  Thursday night after class I am visiting my dear friend Meg to catch up on SYTYCD.  Friday my mom, two aunts, and I are going wedding dress shopping with my cousin!  And out to lunch of course!  Saturday is a graduation party for my mom's cousin's son...whatever relationship that is to me?!  But I am required to attend.  So right now Sunday is looking like my day of grace.  I am really hoping to fit some S-U-N in there too.  I need to get organized so that next week I am not running around with my head cut off, that and I am going to V-Town for a tubing trip that weekend.  So, yeah!  Organization needs to become my friend stat! 

XOXO,
     NMO

In case you were wondering...

I have a new found love for PB&J sandwiches.  These days I'm either having one for lunch or one for supper.  Absolutely De-lish-ous!

I started running again.  It's amazing how fast you can get out of a habit but it still feels real good =)  By the way, I love these shoes...Mizuno Wave Creation...look 'em up!  I just did and I found out they have a boat load of new colors at Finish Line!  Super expensive but totally worth it!

Still not sleeping.  I am kind of turning into one of those morning people except I'm not cheerful.  That was your warning...

I have finished my paper.  Well, it is completed enough that I'm going to hand it in.  We had a saying in high school when we were taking chem:  Sometimes you just have to let go and say screw it!

I'm pretty sure I might celebrate with a cupcake ;)

Don't worry my whining will not stop.  We have a lab today to run our statistics...whatever that means.  I do know it means there is another paper next week. 

I have used two full ink cartridges and almost a whole pack of paper since I started grad school.  Don't worry I am doing my part to kill the trees and make our world a better place for our children!  Ha!  I just wish the teachers would make copies for us since they have big, fast, efficient machines...but I guess when you are in grad school teachers don't do that.  Lame. 

I was reminded last night that everything happens for a reason.  And boy, oh boy, am I glad that the Lord has plans for me that I don't know about cause I really can make a mess of things. 

Ok, I am off to plasma to help save a life ;)  You're welcome.

XOXO,
     NMO

Procrastination...

That is exactly what this post is...a form of procrastination.  Yup my friends.  It is a Saturday night, it's only 9:00 p.m. and I'm doing homework.  Wow!  I. Am. Lame.  In my defense, I do about a half an hours to hours worth of "working" and then I take about the same amount of time for a break.  I learned this trick in one of my psychology classes, once upon a time.  It is supposed to help promote memory and learning.  Although, I am quite certain "breaks" were supposed only supposed to be 10 -15 minutes. I often tweak things to work better for me =)

Today I went to my lil bros baseball tournament.  His team kind of played like crap but it was fun anyway.  Sun + Lawn chairs + Baseball + little children = A GOOD TIME

Uncle Adam

She only stayed in her stroller for about two seconds.  Where these kids get there energy...I'll never know?!

I really love this function of my camera.  Team pow-wow.  They were actually kicking some butt this game. 

And yes, this is what I need to go back to.  Doesn't that look like fun?  If you are at all curious what graduate students perceive the attitudes of the factors contributing to poverty are...I'm your girl.   Ok, lets be honest if you really wanna know I'll give you the number to one of my classmates because I'm flying by the seat of my pants here. 

Dear Research Proposal,  I do not understand you nor do I like you.  We have issues.  It's definitely not me...I'm pretty sure its you.  I hope your buddy, Mister Qualitative Research Project, is easier. Cause that would make me a very happy person.  Anyway, I will try and do my best by you.  Please help a sista out.  Sincerely,  Drowning in Research. 

Peace out world.  I hope your Saturday evenings are far more exciting than mine!

XOXO,
     NMO

Lists...

Ok, ladies and gents.  It is your lucky day.  I am going to provide for you a one of a kind, oh so random, blog post for your reading pleasure.  Please! Please! Hold the applause =)

• School is kicking my butt.  Not even lying.  This is not me pretending like it is really hard...it IS really hard.  My history course, piece of cake.  No worries there.  My research class...well lets just say that I hope the teacher really likes me or that I am able to refund my money when I don't pass.  There is an assignment due every class period.  We only meet twice a week but my other class meets twice a week also...anyway what I'm trying to say is all I do these days is eat, sleep (kinda), and do homework.  Ok. I'm done whining for now. 

2)  Sleep (kinda).  Do you know what this means?  Nope I'm not losing sleep over school work.  I don't roll that way.  I would say it has been about 3 weeks since I have had a decent nights sleep.  I go to bed and it never fails, I wake up at 4:30 or 5:00 a.m.!  Wide awake!  I can usually fall back asleep but it is not REM sleep.  What is wrong with me?  I thought it was these new vitamins I started taking but I stopped taking them and nothing has changed.  This girl can not survive on 4-5 hours of sleep a night.  I need at least 9 to function!  Hehehe...ok I'd take a solid 7.  So, the trainer had all these great ideas for me to try...so far none of them have worked.  Her latest idea is for me to take 3 whole days off!  Yuppers!  Sounds really awesome, right?!  I'm not gonna lie it is going to be nice to have a break.

C)  BUT...I can't believe I'm saying this...but I'm really going to miss running those days.  I hit 5 miles last night.  Granted it was a walk/run since it was in zones 1 and 2 but still!  5 MILES!  Wooohooo!   Lately I have been feeling pretty fantastic during my runs.  When I first started not sleeping I had some really tough ones and may have tweaked the plan in my favor.  Now that I've been feeling good during the runs I hate to break the streak...but what coach says goes.  Maybe I'll do homework instead!  (puke)

• Ok,  I have some really really exciting news to share.  Last weekend I bought myself two pairs of new jeans.  I got really sick of my cousin telling me that my jeans were too big and pulling them up all the time.  Anyway that is not the exciting part.  The exciting part is I bought a pair of size 8 jeans!!!!  Holy Toledo batman!  Granted they are from the GAP and we all know the GAP runs a little big. But, I. DON'T. CARE.  Size eight...I about crapped my pants.  I never dreamed I would wear a single digit size and medium for tops. MEDIUM...I don't even know what that means but I'm ok with it and am totally going to go with it.  So, what does this girl do?  Well, she celebrates with a cupcake, of course!  MMmmm I love me some cupcakes!

5)  In case you were wondering...I am doing laundry.  I hate laundry but I like having the clothes I wanna wear clean.  So it goes...well, I'm pretty sure I have nothing else to say of any importance.  Not that the previous statements were important at all.  Let's be honest I only have one follower!  Hi, Jenn!  I miss you and am totally excited to see you at 20s/30s!  That is if I haven't jabbed my eyes out by then with a pen =)

XOXO,
     NMO

Counting Calories...

Counting calories is definitely not my forte.  Almost a month ago, I had my monthly meeting with my trainer.  I was due for a new metabolic test...which means said trainer made me run on the treadmill ruthlessly with a crazy mask on.  This allows me to figure out what my zones are.  I have mentioned before that my runs are dictated by my zones.  These would be the zones I'm talking about. 

Anywho, with all of the training I have done my zones should have improved.  Improvement would mean that my zones would have gotten smaller and/or went up.  That was not the case.  My trainer stared at the computer screen with a "what the heck" look on her face. 

Ok, back track to prior to the test.  While setting up my trainer asked my how my nutrition had been.  I stated that it had been a bad month.  MONTH!, she exclaimed.  Yup.  I went on explaining to her that I ate great at breakfast and lunch and that by the end of the day I was ravenous and would eat pretty much anything in sight.  Of course, she asked how many calories I was eating....and of course, I didn't have a clue.  So, she grabbed my Heart Rate Monitor from me and looked through my last two weeks of workouts to see how many calories I had been burning each day.  Averaged them out and WA-LA!  That is how I started counting calories.

On average I am burning 500-600 calories extra a day.  Which means I have to eat 2200 calories a day if I want to lose weight.  Say WHAT?  Yeah, that's how I felt too.  And then the metabolic testing reiterated it by showing that my metabolism had slowed down.  She attributed this to my nutrition.  She explained that if you are not getting enough calories your body will go into starvation mode, hence no weight loss for muah!  She was happy that we do this test every couple of months cause then we caught the 'overtraining' before it was too late.  Over training, ha!  I love it. 

I'm sorry that I can not explain this concept as well as she did but I promise it made perfect sense.  Anyway, back to calories.  So the first week after that test I wrote down everything I ate and how many calories I was consuming.  Wow, I never thought I would say this but I was having a hard time consuming 2200 (healthy) calories a day and that was with adding protein powder to random food.  Once I got the general idea of what constituted a 2200 calorie day...I quit counting.  Let's be honest that is hard work! 

Good news!  It is working.  I have lost about three pounds since then.  I am not feeling deprived.  In fact it is quite the opposite.  I feel like all I do is EAT!  I find that if I don't get snacks in between meals I am scurrying at the end of the night to reach my calorie goal!  I have noticed that I don't crave sweets as often.  I think it is because I'm always eating so I'm always feeling full.  No mindless eating, really. 

I'm sorry this became very winded.  I have been meaning to blog about it for awhile, hence the copious paragraphs and random tangents.  I have about 6 other things I'd like to blog about but unfortunately I have already reached my procrastination quota for the evening. 

XOXO,
     NMO

Back to School...

Two class sessions down and 21 to go!  But who is counting?!  That's just for the first summer session.  I figure I should take it a term at a time ;) 

There are nine other students in my cohort.  Luckily, they all seem to be thinking the same way I am thinking...if we make it through this alive it will be a miracle!  Our classes are 3 hours long, from 4 -7, yup right during dinner time.  So my stomach generally growls the first hour or so of class.  Thankfully, even though the signs say otherwise, the teachers are allowing us to have food in class.  It also helps to keep me awake!  

My History of Social Work class is going to be a piece of cake.  Yeah, there are some annoying assignments but I'll get over it.  My Research Methods class, on the other hand, is probably going to be the most challenging class I take all year.  Just because research is not my thing.  I was thanking God last night after class for giving my teacher for that class a sense of humor.  Cause, seriously, a 30 page syllabus and on average we are supposed to read about 5 chapters for each class period, i'm going to be a little sarcastic!  Shoot. Me. Now.  Confession:  I did not do all the assigned reading for the first class...but I found out I was not the only one.  I am going to have to brush up on my skim reading!

                                                                            Tee hee!

In other news, I am waiting for my breakfast to digest so I can go kick the gyms butt!  I really don't want to go kick the gyms butt but I figure if I pretend I want to maybe it will actually happen.  It's good for me.  That's what I keep telling myself. 

Alright,  I'm off like a dirty shirt ;)

XOXO,
      NMO



Blessed...

I have been absent as of late...sorry!  All of a sudden, my not so busy life got busy!  The last month has been filled with visits to friends, from friends, hanging out with old friends, and making new friends.  A family get-together for Mother's Day...random but fun.  Interviews.  Workouts.  Orientations.  All I have to say is God is good. 

Yesterday I found out where I would be interning.  There was a lot of apprehension as I opened the e-mail.  Silent prayers have been sent copiously the last month.  I've been asking for contentedness.  Is that a word?  Anyway,  the Lord is so good.  I was very excited to read that I would be interning at the VA Medical Center!!!  I have dreamed about working there since graduating with my undergrad.  I will be working in the Medical Intensive Care Unit.  The umbrella it is under is Primary Care - we provide inpatient and outpatient services.  The internship starts around the last week of August/beginning of September.  I still need to contact my field instructor for more details.  Not only do I have this awesome opportunity but I will also be able to shadow some other social workers in different areas, attend CEUs for free, and this internship is a PAID internship.  GASP!  I know.  I could really care less about that part but the money will definitely come in handy.  The Lord sure knows what he is doing. 

With that being said, I should really try to get some sleep.  School starts on Wednesday and we already have an assignment.  Go figure.  I feel like I'm behind already and we haven't even started!  Oh, and in case you were wondering...I almost had a heart attack today when I purchased my books.  $826.10.  Yup, no lie.  The lady who rang me up was so nice to comment that this was probably the largest transaction she has ever rang up.  Thanks. Makes me feel a whole lot better.  One year.  One year.  That may become my new mantra. 

Alright,  Night y'all. 

XOXO,
      NMO

Living Life...

 Say hello to my sweaty shirt!  Yuck!  Lucky you guys, you get to see a nice sweaty pic of me after my long run today.  45 minute run.  4.01 miles.  11:25 pace.  I was on the treadmill and boy oh boy was I trying to trick myself mentally into thinking running was fun.  Let's be honest.  Running isn't fun.  I was also wishing I was outside tonight because I kept getting loogies (is that how you spell it?) and I couldn't just spit them out.  It was a tough run.  But you know what...the bad runs are what make the good runs good.  So I guess I'm gonna stop complaining and move on =) besides tomorrow is Yoga day.  I like Yoga days...they are easy!

 In other news, I was taking the turkey out of the oven on Easter Day and burned myself.  I was far too lazy to let my arm sit under the water for 20 minutes so of course it proceeded to blister.  Which I accidentally popped drying off after a shower. *sigh*  This is why it is just soo much easier to have people cook for me instead.  I don't have the best track records with burns...

Now for the fun stuff!  On Friday I am making the trek to good ol' Valentine, NE.  A flock of my near and dear friends live there.  We are going to an exhibit called Lipstick and Line Drives on Saturday.  It's about women's baseball and I am pumped!  It will be nice to get away.  But right now my bed is calling my name.  Good night all. 

XOXO,
      NMO

Cleaning Out My Closet...

 Garage sale coming up this weekend.  I went through all my clothes and purged anything I haven't worn in a year, that was too big, or just fit funny.  Oh, boy I think I have a shopping issue, cause the closet is still full! 

This picture is from last year around this time.  Hooray for weight loss!

XOXO,
     NMO

Easter Run!

                                                                        Dude, I am white!

Spring is here! (Kind of) I have been trying to work up the courage to go for an outdoor run. You see when I run on the treadmill…it keeps going. Therefore, my legs have to keep going. We had a spell of nice weather and I had thought to myself that next weekend I would go for a run outside. Then it decided to rain, snow, and get really cold again for two weeks. That was all I needed to keep me indoors.



Well, today was absolutely beautiful out! I had eaten way too much Easter food and was definitely due for a run. So I worked up my courage again and enlisted some support, my little bro. Lately he has been on a “health” kick. I guess I am rubbing off on him. Ha! I didn’t have a clue of how far any sort of “route” was around my house but knew I wanted to run for about 35 minutes in zone 3 which I figured would be around 3 miles since I didn’t know if I would be able to keep a pace.


We ended up running a loop 3 times. After the second loop Adam asked how many more we were going to do ‘cause he could run faster. I told him to go for it and I would eventually make it home. Well, he pulled ahead of me for about 5 minutes and then all of a sudden I was ahead of him. I thought maybe he was trying to be nice, but later found out that all of a sudden he had gotten really tired. So we finished lap 3 and headed home. We ended 2 minutes shy of 35 minutes but I figured it wasn’t bad for guesstimating time and distance.


Being the curious girl that I am =) we went back over the route in the car. Adam was pretty excited since he just got his permit. I let him drive and only held my breath three times! We are going to work on slowing down before turns and turning into our own lane…


Anywho, the route was about 2.8 miles, probably a tad more. I felt good during the whole run even though I was pretty sure I was running as slow as a snail. I could have done another mile easy but anything beyond that would have been pushing it I think! So, my calculations lead me to believe I was running around a 11:20 min mile. That makes me a very happy girl =) Now if only the weather will stay!!


I hope you all had a blessed Easter. Alleluia! He is risen!!!


XOXO,
     NMO



I think I'll go to Boston...

Ok, not really but that is what pops into my head when I think about tomorrow.  Tomorrow is the Boston Marathon!  Yup that would be where all the those really fit people run insanely fast for 26.2 miles.  So being the curious girl that I am, I wondered what the qualifying time was for my age/gender. 

3hrs 40min

Can we say, Holy Moses Batman!!!  If my calculations are correct that is about an 8:40 pace...for 26.2 miles.  I can't even run an eight minute mile let alone for 26.2 miles.  I do have to say that it would be pretty awesome to run a marathon cause then you could say you were a "marathoner" but I'm pretty sure that would be the only cool part about it.  Not only do you have to be physically fit but just think of how mentally fit you would need to be to finish!  All I have to say is...I'll work on it ; )

In other news, I have completed two of my new workouts from the trainer.  I am very sore and I thought I might die during arms and legs but otherwise all is good.  I am scheduled for another new workout tomorrow, if I die...you all know what happened. 

I hope you all had a great weekend!  Eventually we will get some warmer weather...someday.

XoXo,
      NMO

Thankful...

Today I am thankful for:

1)  My little brother and his computer cord.  You see I have a tendency to go through computer cords like they are going out of style.

2)  A much needed weekend with some amazing women.  My heart was so full when I left. 

3)  New workouts.  Met with the trainer this A.M.  Ran through my new AB, Arms, and Legs workouts.  Dare I say I feel like this will be easier?  Ok, probably will just be a different kind of hard...a lot of plyometrics!  Eeek!

4)  The sun!  Oh, how I have missed you!

5)  Productiveness.  Doesn't happen every day ya know!  

Tomorrow is a new day.  It is Adam's first baseball game.  I am praying for beautiful weather and that mom is feeling up to going to the game.  Sleep tight world!

XoXo,
     NMO

Ramblings...

Where have I been?  I really don't know to tell you the truth.  I have a very not-so-much-exciting life.  The days have been mundane and I have really been lacking motivation to do pretty much anything.  My room is...absolutely disgusting and the bathroom is getting there.  Once again I am deeming tomorrow as "Clean Every Surface Day".  I should really throw in "Organize" too.  But lets be honest, I don't want to get over zealous. 

My workouts have been going well.  It makes me happy that I am a little sore the day after even though I am doing the same weight lifting routines every other week.  My runs have been good.  I never thought I would say this...but running is actually quite addicting.  Do I have to talk myself into doing it still?  Yes!  Do I think about how much work it is as I do it?  Of course!  But here is the kicker... Do I feel amazing/accomplished afterwards?  That's a heck yes!   That feeling keeps me coming back for more. 

Back in the day when I used to make fun of people who ran for fun, it really hurt me to run.  Seriously, my lungs burned, my legs became tired after two seconds, and I thought my heart was going to pump right out of my chest.  That doesn't happen anymore.  Well, most of the time it doesn't.  On Monday, during my sprint workout, I was almost positive that I was either going to A) throw up or B) pass out.  Guess what?  I am just melodramatic.  I didn't do either.  I kicked that run in the butt finishing it...looking like I was going to die...but finishing none the less.  My heart is getting stronger and I am getting stronger and it definitely shows in my runs. 

Nutrition wise...I have blown it, yet again.  I don't know what it is about sweets and treats but they have me under their spells.  It is a good thing I am burning some major calories at the gym or I would have gained 10 lbs. by now.  But on the flipside I think about the results I could be seeing if I was eating properly and working out like a mad women.  Can we say weight loss?!  *Sigh*  They say knowledge is power.  Now if I was only smart enough or had the self control to follow through on this!  

Sorry, this post has become extremely long.  Excuse my ramblings...this is what happens when you don't blog for a few days.  You'll have a great night.

XoXo,
     NMO